Independence Day: Tinubu Must Release Nnamdi Kanu For National Healing, Reconciliation — Ohanaeze
Independence Day: Tinubu Must Release Nnamdi Kanu For National Healing, Reconciliation — Ohanaeze
He said the continued incarceration of Kanu remained a sensitive issue, particularly in the South-East, and required a broader national conversation aimed at reducing tensions and addressing grievances.
The national president of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka Igboayaka, has asked President Bola Tinubu to release the imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as part of efforts toward national healing and reconciliation.
Igboayaka made the call in an Independence Day statement on Thursday, October 1, 2026, arguing that Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary should serve as an opportunity for the Nigerian government to address longstanding grievances and rebuild trust with communities that feel alienated from the country.
According to him, Independence Day should not only commemorate the sacrifices of Nigerians who fought for freedom and nationhood but should also challenge present leaders to uphold the principles of justice, liberty, dialogue and reconciliation.
He said the continued incarceration of Kanu remained a sensitive issue, particularly in the South-East, and required a broader national conversation aimed at reducing tensions and addressing grievances.
Kanu was convicted on seven terrorism-related counts by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 20, 2025, and sentenced to life imprisonment, alongside additional prison terms on other counts. He subsequently appealed the conviction and sentence.
Igboayaka, however, described Kanu’s ordeal as an “open wound” for the Igbo people and urged Tinubu to explore what he called every lawful political option towards securing Kanu’s release.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s ordeal remains an open wound to Ndigbo, and I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate statesmanship by exploring every lawful political solution available to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which is geared towards national reconciliation,” Igboayaka said.
He noted that the demand should not be interpreted as a rejection of the judicial process but as an appeal for dialogue and reconciliation over an issue that has continued to generate strong emotions and political concerns in the South-East.
“We cannot speak about freedom, independence and the sacrifices of our past heroes while ignoring the divisions and grievances that continue to affect our people today,” he said.
“Independence should remind us of the value of liberty and the responsibility of government to build trust among its citizens.”
Igboayaka further said that Tinubu has an opportunity to make national reconciliation part of his administration’s legacy by engaging relevant stakeholders and pursuing a peaceful approach to the Kanu issue.
He said such an approach could help rebuild confidence between the Federal Government and sections of the Igbo population who, according to him, feel alienated from the Nigerian project.
The Ohanaeze youth leader also called for what he described as a renewed commitment to justice and equity, alleging that the Igbo people had been deprived of both since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970.
“Those who enjoy Nigeria’s independence, but conspired against Nnamdi Kanu, a leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, have murdered sleep and they will sleep no more,” Igboayaka stated.
Kanu has been serving his life sentence at a correctional facility in Sokoto following the November 2025 judgment. In February 2026, he filed an appeal seeking to overturn the conviction and sentence.
Igboayaka’s call comes amid continuing demands from some political and community figures for a political or negotiated resolution of the Kanu case.
