A prominent monarch in Enugu State called for the immediate liberation of detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, suggesting the government repatriate him to Kenya or Britain if unwilling to keep him.
Igwe Samuel Asadu, chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, voiced the plea during a meeting with journalists, framing Kanu’s release as essential for regional stability. “If the Federal Government does not want Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria, they should send him back to Kenya or the UK where he was arrested,” Asadu said. “His continued detention is causing more harm than good to the Southeast and the nation at large.”
The ruler argued that freeing Kanu, head of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), would curb insecurity linked to his supporters and foster peace. “Release him unconditionally and let him go home. This will help in reducing the level of insecurity in the Southeast,” Asadu added.
Kanu has been held since his 2021 rendition from Kenya, facing terrorism charges that his backers decry as politically motivated. The call echoes broader demands from southeastern leaders, including governors, for his release to ease ethnic frictions.
The presidency and justice ministry offered no immediate response to the monarch’s remarks.
