The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has voiced their dismay over President Bola Tinubu’s failure to fulfill an alleged agreement made by his son, Seyi, regarding Kanu’s release during the 2023 presidential election.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, revealed in a statement that shortly before the election, Seyi Tinubu, with his father’s approval, met with him in Abuja.
During this meeting, an agreement was reportedly reached in which IPOB would not boycott the election in exchange for a commitment from Tinubu to secure Nnamdi Kanu’s release if he became president.
Despite Tinubu’s victory and nearly two years in office, Kanu remains in detention, even though the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, has recused herself from the case.
Prince Emmanuel expressed his frustration with Tinubu’s failure to honor the agreement, especially after public assurances made during Tinubu’s campaign, including his visit to Owerri.
He emphasized that IPOB had upheld its end of the bargain by not calling for an election boycott, despite having the capacity to do so, and by overcoming internal divisions against such a call.
Prince Emmanuel further criticized the Nigerian judiciary for not assigning a new judge to Kanu’s case, despite several rulings in his favor, including the Court of Appeal’s discharge order and the Supreme Court’s stance on his bail.
He described the situation as a betrayal of trust, stating that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu lacked legal justification and was a failure to honor the commitments made during the election period.
