Onyebuchi Onwuchekwa
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo sociocultural organization, has accused Igbo leaders of abandoning Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a press release signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro,Deputy President General and Chief Chinenyeze Ohia,National Spokesman Ohanaeze Ndigbo,the group expressed disappointment over the silence and inaction of Southeast Governors, Senators, and traditional rulers, who have failed to secure Kanu’s release despite his prolonged detention
Ohanaeze Ndigbo went further to alleged that these leaders are more interested in political theater and self-preservation than in genuinely working towards Kanu’s freedom.
The group noted that while other regions are actively engaging with insurgents and working towards peace, Igbo leaders have failed to take decisive action.
“The Southeast Governors, Igbo Senators, members of the House of Representatives, the Southeast Traditional Rulers Forum, and the College of Bishops, have collectively orchestrated a silence of complicity. Their actions, or rather, their inaction, speak volumes.”
“Fear, not courage, has dictated their response. This collective reticence, this deliberate obfuscation of truth, has allowed the situation to fester and stagnate.”
“They have, out of self-preservation, chosen to distance themselves from the core issue, leaving Ndigbo to grapple with the consequences.”
“Consider the stark contrast. Across the nation, we observe Northern Governors engaging in direct dialogue with even the most hardened insurgents, striving to find pathways to peace and security.”
“We witness Southwest Governors uniting in common cause to combat insecurity within their region, even forming regional security apparatuses and fighting for the release of their own people.”
“Yet, in the Southeast, the very individuals who wield influence – the Governors, the Traditional Rulers, the Religious Leaders, even certain non-state actors previously associated with Nnamdi Kanu – bear the primary responsibility for the current impasse.”
“It is their actions, or lack thereof, that have stalled any meaningful progress towards a resolution, delaying the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu since his detention in 2021. The failure to act is a damning indictment of their leadership.”
“The primary beneficiaries of this prolonged incarceration are the Igbo political elite, those who have played the cynical game of political theater.”
“They offer empty platitudes and deceptive pronouncements, yet consistently fail to translate these words into tangible action.”
“They have, with alarming consistency, cultivated a culture of deceit, using Nnamdi Kanu’s plight as a means to garner public sympathy and enhance their perceived popularity. This is a calculated strategy, a betrayal of the trust placed in them by Ndigbo.”the statement reads.
The organization claimed that President Tinubu is inclined to release Kanu before the end of 2025, but is waiting for credible assurances from Igbo leaders regarding Kanu’s conduct upon release.
“The truth, however uncomfortable, must be spoken: What is holding Nnamdi Kanu in detention is the absence of credible assurances from Igbo leaders to President Tinubu regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s conduct upon release.”
“The painful reality is that no Governor, Senator, or significant cultural leader is willing to take the necessary risk and provide those assurances. Their failure is a stark demonstration of a lack of courage and true leadership.”they stated.
Investigator news reports that the group reaffirmed that President Tinubu is inclined to release Kanu before the end of 2025,but only wait for “the one voice of Ndigbo”
