Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, a traditional ruler from Enugu State, ambushed President Bola Tinubu last week during a health summit for traditional and religious leaders inside the presidential villa in Abuja. He specifically asked Tinubu to either send Nnamdi Kanu back to Kenya or unconditionally release the convicted Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader.
When Igwe Agubuzu was given the chance to speak to the group, he made the demand.
In light of the fact that many political figures who were meant to spearhead such initiatives have all remained mute out of fear, the demand was generally seen as brave.
As Agubuzu discussed Kanu’s experience and how his situation was comparable to that of Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba self-determination activist, President Tinubu, who had never anticipated such a demand at that time, was observed giggling uncontrollably.
Nonetheless, Nigerians both domestically and abroad have continued to praise and applaud Igwe Agubuzu’s demand.
In a statement, three American Igbo advocacy organizations—American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self-Determination (ASD), and Rising Sun Foundation (RSF)—praised the Enugu monarch for telling President Tinubu what many others have neglected to tell him.
“We unequivocally commend His Royal Majesty, Eze Agubuzu of Enugu for his unwavering courage in telling President Bola Tinubu what other Igbo traditional rulers have been too weak, too compromised, or too cowardly to say: Release Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately or return him to Kenya,” read a statement co-signed by Dr. Sylvester Onyia, AVID, Chief Evans Nwankwo, ASD, and Dr. Maxwell Dede.
The only rulers who have openly acknowledged the extent of the suffering, injustice, and agony caused upon our people by Kanu’s unlawful detention are Eze Agubuzu and Eze Chukwuemeka Eri.
“The majority of Igbo kings and chiefs, including the Obi of Onitsha and Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, remain silent while Fulani herder murderers are pampered, Yoruba agitators are free, and the Nigerian state continues to show contempt for Igbo humanity.” Their inactivity is treachery, and their silence is complicity.
We question bluntly: If these so-called leaders are incapable of defending the lives, liberty, and dignity of their own people, what good are their titles and crowns? Leaders that prioritize their own comfort over the good of the group cannot be tolerated by AlaIgbo.
The organizations urged the Igbo traditional leaders to speak with one voice and to stop being cowards and complicit. They emphasized that the days of using veiled words, half-measures, and whispers were ended.
“You may either stand up for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu with courage or move aside to make place for leaders who will. “Those who chose to remain silent while our people endured injustice will not be forgiven by history,” the statement continued.
The organizations applauded Agubuzu’s bravery, stating that he showed that a people’s dignity is maintained by moral authority rather than by fear of Abuja.
Similar to this, Prof. Leo Obinna, a lecturer at Michael Okpara University in Umudike, Imo State, has called Igwe Agubuzor a brave and fearless king whose views are shared by the Igbo.
“We demand that President Bola Tinubu grant Nnamdi Kanu unconditional release. Igwe Agubuzor is a brave and audacious ruler. He only shared our thoughts with the president.
Few leaders will speak in the manner that he did. He has my respect and I give him my thanks.
“On Sunday, Igboho committed the same well-known crime as Kanu. While our own Kanu is incarcerated, Igboho has been granted a pardon, and we have heard that the Ooni of Ife is attempting to bestow upon him one of the highest honors in Yoruba nation,” he stated. He claimed that Kanu would have been freed in other countries where justice and equity are valued highly.
Godwin Chinonye, a lawyer, welcomed Igwe Agubuzor’s appeal for Kanu’s, but emphasized that the IPOB leader accomplished nothing.
“What the traditional ruler said was absolutely accurate. People like Kanu were let free in other areas. He answered, “Yes, I am applauding the traditional for what he said.”
Okezie Ohajuruka, a lawyer from Umuahia, voiced his admiration for Agubuzu’s remarks, characterizing the monarch as “the type of leader the Igbo need at this point in time; people who will speak truth to power.”
Afaraukwu, Umuahia, Ikechukwu Ndubueze, the former president general of Kanu’s community, also praised Igwe Agubuzu for speaking the truth to the president.
He urged other Igbo leaders to speak up in order to secure the release of their son, stating that if the IPOB leader had been from another tribe, he should have been freed long ago.
“I don’t believe Kanu would still be behind bars if he were a Fulani or Yoruba man. However, they would prefer that he die in prison since he is an Igbo man,” he stated.
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
