A former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo State, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. Ume made the plea in a letter to the President, dated February 24, 2025.
In the letter, Ume urged Tinubu to consider the pleas of late national leaders from the South, including Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and Chief Mbazurike Amaechi, who had advocated for Kanu’s release. Ume noted that these leaders had spent their final years calling for peace, unity, and national healing.
Ume’s appeal is seen as a move to promote national healing and reconciliation, particularly in the South-East region, which has been affected by the IPOB leader’s detention. The former Attorney-General emphasized the need for sustainable nation-building, which he said could only be achieved through the inclusion of every sub-group in the country.
Kanu’s detention has been a subject of controversy, with many Igbo leaders and groups calling for his release. The IPOB leader is facing trial for treason and other charges related to his separatist activities.
Ume’s letter to Tinubu is seen as a significant development in the ongoing debate about Kanu’s detention. The former Attorney-General’s appeal is likely to add momentum to the calls for Kanu’s release.
The Nigerian government has been under pressure to address the issues underlying the IPOB leader’s separatist agitation. Many have argued that Kanu’s detention has only exacerbated the tensions in the South-East region.
