ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), on Monday threw its weight behind the call by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, while also taking a swipe at Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, over remarks made by his media aide.
The group was reacting to comments by Soludo’s Special Adviser on Media, Ejimofor Opara, who criticised Obi for renewing calls for Kanu’s release during an engagement with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., United States.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had maintained during the interaction that there was no justification for Kanu’s continued detention, stressing that he had consistently held that position over the years.
According to the Obidient Movement, the event took place a few days ago, and a video of Obi’s remarks has since gained traction across social media platforms.
Responding to Obi’s position, Opara described the comments as a “major slap” on both the Nigerian judiciary and the Finnish judicial system.
He referenced the conviction of Simon Ekpa, whom he identified as Kanu’s protégé, noting that Ekpa is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offences.
However, IPOB, through a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, strongly disagreed with Opara’s position and accused Governor Soludo of political inconsistency and hypocrisy.
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The separatist group argued that Soludo had previously supported demands for Kanu’s release and therefore had no basis to criticise Obi for taking a similar stand.
IPOB recalled Soludo’s reported visit to Kanu at the Department of State Services custody in January 2023, during which the governor allegedly appealed for his release and even offered to stand as surety for him.
The organisation further pointed to comments previously attributed to Anambra State officials indicating that efforts were being made behind the scenes to secure Kanu’s freedom.
Expressing disappointment over what it described as a sudden shift in position, IPOB alleged that the criticism directed at Obi was politically motivated.
“What changed is your ambition,” the group declared, accusing Soludo of abandoning principles he once publicly defended and betraying the broader Igbo cause.
IPOB also reiterated that its demand for Kanu’s release is rooted in justice rather than politics, insisting that the call transcends partisan considerations.
According to the group, many Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds have continued to support the demand for Kanu’s freedom.
Reaffirming its position, IPOB called for Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release, describing his continued incarceration as unjust.
Kanu is currently serving a life sentence after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him in November 2025 on terrorism-related charges.
The court found him guilty on several counts, including terrorism, incitement, membership of a proscribed organisation and offences connected to separatist activities in the South-East.
He received life imprisonment on the principal counts, while additional jail terms imposed on other counts were ordered to run concurrently. Although prosecutors had sought the death penalty, the court ultimately imposed a life sentence.
Kanu has rejected the judgment and appealed both the conviction and the sentence.
His legal team has consistently maintained that the verdict amounted to a miscarriage of justice, arguing that prosecutors failed to prove the allegations against him beyond reasonable doubt.
The IPOB leader was first arrested in 2015 over charges linked to his separatist campaign and was granted bail two years later.
Following a military operation at his family residence in Abia State in 2017, Kanu left Nigeria and remained outside the country until his controversial re-arrest in Kenya in 2021 and subsequent return to Nigeria.
His trial, conviction and continued detention have remained deeply divisive issues in Nigeria, with supporters portraying him as a political prisoner, while the Federal Government of Nigeria insists he must be held accountable for alleged acts of terrorism and violence associated with the separatist movement.