The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, so that he can access medical treatment.

In a video message sent to reporters on Thursday, Azuta-Mbata said the government stood to gain nothing by keeping Kanu in custody and should instead explore a political solution to resolve the matter.

“Secondly, I would like to call upon the federal government of Nigeria to quickly release Nnamdi Kanu. The Government has no serious advantage in keeping him. It is important that the government ensures his safety and his welfare, and that the Government must allow him to go and get medical treatment as quickly as possible,” he said.

“The Government must adopt a political solution to this situation. I do not believe that the Government has any serious advantage in keeping him any further.”

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges including treasonable felony. After jumping bail in 2017, he fled the country but was rearrested in Kenya in June 2021 in a controversial operation and has since remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). His continued detention has remained one of Nigeria’s most divisive political and security issues.
Azuta-Mbata also used the message to urge Igbos across the country to take part in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

“I’m calling upon Ndigbo-nine (Igbos in general) wherever you are in Nigeria to quickly go and take advantage of the voter registration exercise that is going on right now. Go and get your cards as quickly as possible,” he said.

The call comes as debates around Kanu’s detention continue to generate reactions from political leaders, community groups, and rights advocates, many of whom have suggested political dialogue as a way forward.