A coalition of clerics under the Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission has accused South East governors of failing to actively push for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), despite widespread calls from the Igbo Nation.
In an open letter addressed to the governors and made public in Abuja on Thursday, the group alleged that the governors had shown a lack of commitment to the cause, instead prioritizing their political interests. The letter, signed by Rev. Tony Uzo Anthony and Apostle Tony Osuji, claimed the governors had misled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and failed to hold him accountable for his campaign promise to secure Kanu’s release.
“It is now evident that Mr. President and the South East governors took an oath not to free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the letter read. It also referenced a purported pre-election agreement between Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, and Kanu’s family, promising his release if Tinubu won the presidency.
Despite nearly two years of the Tinubu administration, the clerics lamented that no tangible progress had been made, with the South East governors failing to press the matter during the President’s visits to the region.
The group criticized the governors for contributing to the region’s insecurity by not advocating for Kanu’s freedom, which they described as key to restoring peace in the South East. They urged religious leaders to intensify calls for Kanu’s release and condemned the governors for what they called the “utmost hypocrisy” in using the media to mislead the Igbo people.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention is an outright humiliation of Ndi Igbo,” the letter concluded, calling on voters to hold politicians accountable for their perceived inaction on the matter.
