Hundreds of residents in Afarukwu, Abia State — the ancestral home of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) — staged a peaceful demonstration, calling on the Federal Government to secure his immediate release.
Kanu, who spent over five years in custody before being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho on terrorism-related charges, is currently challenging the verdict at the Court of Appeal.
Since the judgement, the IPOB leader has been held at the Sokoto Correctional Centre operated by the Nigerian Correctional Service.
In video footage of the rally shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Kanu’s special counsel, Alloy Ejimakor, large crowds comprising men and women across various age groups marched along community roads, chanting solidarity songs in Igbo: “Nnamdi Kanu bu onyendu anyi, onyendu ka anyi na-eso” meaning “Nnamdi Kanu is our leader, and he is the man we follow”.
As Abia State marches today in the legions for #FreeNnamdiKanu, SE Governors must rise together & impress on President Tinubu to do the right thing by resolving this matter outside of the judicial realm. Despite the unjust conviction, this matter was political from day one. pic.twitter.com/YyP5GCMCuO
— aloy ejimakor (@AloyEjimakor) August 3, 2026
Visuals from the demonstration capture participants dressed in traditional attires, headgears, and red caps, carrying a prominent dark banner bearing the crest of the group and the title: “IPOB ABIA STATE CHAPTER DECLARES THE ONLY IPOB SUPREME LEADER AND DIRECTOR OF RADIO BIAFRA: ONYENDU MAZI NNAMDI OKWU KANU.”
The image depicted on the banner portrays Kanu in full royal regalia, holding a royal staff in his capacity as a prince of Afarukwu kingdom. Protesters walked alongside the banner as traditional leaders and community members led the procession through local streets.
Accompanying the shared video clip, Ejimakor urged political leaders in the region to seek a political solution to the prolonged legal battle:
“As Abia State marches today in the legions for #FreeNnamdiKanu, SE Governors must rise together & impress on President Tinubu to do the right thing by resolving this matter outside of the judicial realm. Despite the unjust conviction, this matter was political from day one.”
Kanu’s life sentence has remained a point of controversy among legal practitioners and human rights advocates across the South-East region.
Prior to his conviction by Justice Omotosho, a High Court sitting in Enugu in late 2023 had declared the initial proscription of IPOB as a terrorist organisation by the Federal Government — under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari—as unconstitutional, null, and void.
The court ruled that the executive order designating the self-determination group as a terrorist entity violated fundamental rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Despite the High Court decision nullifying the group’s proscription, federal prosecutors maintained terrorism charges against Kanu, eventually securing a conviction before the Federal High Court in Abuja which has cognate jurisdiction with High Court of Enugu State.
As Kanu’s legal team pursues an appeal to quash the conviction, community leaders and civil rights groups in Abia State continue to press President Bola Tinubu’s administration to opt for an out-of-court, political resolution to maintain stability across the South-East region.
(SaharaReporters)