A prominent South-East traditional ruler has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, or return him to Kenya, where he was arrested, warning that his continued detention is intensifying agitation among youths in the region.
The appeal was made on Tuesday by Dr Lawrence Agubuzu, the Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, during the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
“Bring Him Out,” Monarch Appeals
Addressing the President directly, Agubuzu said Kanu’s prolonged detention remains a major source of unrest in the South-East.
“Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London where they took him from.
Please do something about this. We cannot make progress in this country if we don’t tell ourselves the truth.”
The monarch stressed that resolving the Kanu issue would help ease tensions and rebuild trust between the Federal Government and communities in the South-East.
Summit Takes Political Turn
The summit, themed “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” was primarily convened to deepen grassroots engagement in health sector reforms.
Participants signed a compact committing to improved healthcare delivery, transparency, and accountability within their domains.
However, the atmosphere shifted during goodwill messages when Agubuzu raised concerns about national unity and Kanu’s continued incarceration.
He referenced remarks earlier delivered by the Ooni of Ife, who had encouraged unity and collective progress.
Reference to Sunday Igboho
Agubuzu also questioned what he described as a double standard, alleging that the same royal father was preparing to confer a traditional honour on Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Igboho, whom he described as Kanu’s counterpart in the South-West.
“The ball is in your court. Bring this man out,” he reiterated.
Growing Youth Agitation in South-East
The Enugu-based monarch warned that traditional rulers in the South-East are facing mounting pressure from young people frustrated over the unresolved legal battle surrounding Kanu.
“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 sell-outs. We come to Abuja; they may think we come to collect money and then we keep quiet,” he said.
Kanu, 58, a British-Nigerian activist and founder of the proscribed IPOB, remains at the centre of one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive and protracted legal disputes.
Tinubu, First Lady Highlight Health Reforms
While the Kanu issue dominated attention, the summit also focused on national healthcare reforms.
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, delivered the keynote address, urging traditional and religious leaders to support the National Community Food Bank Programme scheduled for nationwide rollout in April.
The event also featured the launch of the second cohort of the National Health Fellows Programme, alongside renewed commitments to strengthen community participation in healthcare delivery.
President Tinubu later addressed participants during the afternoon session.
