A coalition of civil society groups operating under the banner of the “Rescue Alaigbo Movement” staged a peaceful demonstration at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday, explicitly rejecting renewed calls for the release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The protesters, who first gathered at the Unity Fountain before marching on the legislative complex, argued that freeing Kanu would not resolve the severe crisis of killings, kidnappings, and destruction currently plaguing the South-East region.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Free the South East from Terror, Not Kanu” and “Stop Politicizing Insecurity,” the activists urged President Bola Tinubu to resist political pressure to release the separatist figure. The convener of the movement, Chika Obinna, told journalists that insecurity in the region has been fundamentally “hijacked by criminal gangs” who are now exploiting the Biafra agitation for their own purposes. “We are here to make it clear that releasing Nnamdi Kanu will not bring peace,” Obinna stated, insisting that the South-East urgently needs a “sustained security strategy to eliminate armed gangs and restore normalcy.”
This protest comes amid mounting pressure from a broad spectrum of groups, including church leaders, women’s organizations, and youth bodies, who have publicly called on President Tinubu to release Kanu as a key step toward restoring stability in the South-East.
The movement’s stance echoes recent skepticism from regional leaders. Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has previously expressed doubts that Kanu’s release would halt the violence, noting that many armed groups terrorizing the region no longer operate under the authority of Kanu or IPOB.
Despite the recent NMA report deeming him fit to stand trial, Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his 2021 rendition from Kenya, facing terrorism-related charges. While the Court of Appeal discharged him in 2022, the Federal Government continues his detention, citing national security concerns.
Conversely, the IPOB has dismissed the protesters’ position, maintaining that their leader’s continued detention is the primary cause of instability, arguing that his release would cut off public sympathy for criminals operating in his name. The controversy is set to escalate with human rights activist Omoyele Sowore announcing plans for a nationwide protest, dubbed #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, on October 20. However, the Presidency has condemned Sowore’s planned action, labeling him an “anarchist masquerading as a rights activist.”
Meanwhile, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara has thrown his support behind the planned pro-Kanu protest, commending efforts to demand justice and national reconciliation. Security experts continue to warn that the complex crisis in the South-East requires more than simple political gestures, necessitating a combination of decisive law enforcement and sustained dialogue between the Federal Government and regional leaders to genuinely restore peace.
