The Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State, Lawrence Agubuzu, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to facilitate the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Agubuzu made the appeal on Tuesday during the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health in Abuja, which was attended by the President and other prominent stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the monarch expressed dissatisfaction over Kanu’s continued detention, saying it weighed heavily on him and many people in the South-East.
He referenced remarks made earlier at the summit by a fellow royal father, who had encouraged unity and national cohesion. However, Agubuzu said such calls for unity would be difficult to sustain while Kanu remains in custody.
According to him, some people in the South-East view Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho as a counterpart to Kanu, and questioned what he described as perceived disparities in treatment.
“My brother, fellow royal father, does not seem to understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto,” Agubuzu said, drawing applause from some participants at the summit.
The traditional ruler urged the President to take decisive action, suggesting that if Kanu is not wanted in Nigeria, he could be returned to Kenya or the United Kingdom.
“So, sir, the ball stops in your court. Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London, where they took him from,” he said.
Agubuzu added that traditional rulers in the South-East face growing pressure from youths in the region, many of whom remain agitated over Kanu’s detention.
“You see, some of us here are being asked to go and work, but the young people in the South-East are so agitated; they can even beat us. They see us as sellouts,” he said. “We cannot make progress in this country if we don’t tell ourselves the truth.”
Although President Tinubu did not directly respond to the monarch’s appeal during the session, he applauded following the remarks.
Kanu, who leads IPOB, has been at the centre of prolonged legal and political controversy, with his detention continuing to generate debate across the country, particularly in the South-East region.
