Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has committed to meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the prolonged detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The pledge was made on Sunday following a meeting in Abuja with human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore.
In a statement released via his social media channels, Sowore revealed that he met with the former president to advocate for a decisive and just resolution to Kanu’s incarceration. According to Sowore, President Jonathan concurred that the matter requires an “urgent and compelling need to be addressed.”
“I thank him sincerely for recognising the importance of resolving Kanu’s case in the interest of peace, fairness, and national healing,” Sowore stated. “Particularly assuring was that he promised to meet Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss this issue as soon as possible.”
This development places the former president among a growing list of prominent figures who have called for a political solution to Kanu’s case. The list includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN, and former lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani, among others.
Sowore argued that Kanu’s continued detention is politically motivated, stemming from his activism against the perceived marginalisation of his people. He called for Kanu’s unconditional release, similar to how cases against other ethnic and regional activists have been dismissed.
The activist also issued a direct appeal to political, cultural, and religious leaders across the country to join the cause. He specifically called on South East leaders, including Peter Obi, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, Governor Alex Otti of Abia, and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, to “lend their voices to the call for justice and freedom.”
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was brought back to Nigeria in 2021. He faces charges of terrorism and treasonable felony, and his case remains a subject of significant political and social tension in the country.
