VIDEO: Igbo Elders Warn of Crisis as Nnamdi Kanu’s Health Deteriorates, Demand Tinubu Orders Release

The United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide has raised fresh alarm over the deteriorating health of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order his immediate and unconditional release.

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Justice Alpha Ikpeama, the group said Kanu’s continued detention in defiance of multiple court rulings threatens both his life and Nigeria’s unity.

The statement, titled “Court Rulings, UN Decisions Ignored as Kanu’s Health Worsens,” described his detention as a violation of both domestic and international judgments.

UNIEC recalled that Kanu was first arrested in Lagos in October 2015 by the DSS and charged with treason, terrorism, and running an unlawful society. He was granted bail in 2017 but fled abroad after soldiers invaded his Umuahia residence. They noted that in June 2021, he was allegedly abducted in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in what they described as an extraordinary rendition. Since then, he has remained in DSS custody.

According to the council, courts including the UN Human Rights Group (2022), the Court of Appeal in Abuja (2022), the Federal High Court in Umuahia (2022), and the High Court of Kenya (2025) have all ruled against his continued detention.

“On September 17, 2025, his lawyers revealed that he is battling dangerously low potassium levels and other complications that could trigger heart failure,” the elders warned.

UNIEC accused the current administration of continuing what it called the “open targeting” of Ndigbo under the previous government.

“Unity must not only be in theory; it must be reflected in practice,” the group stated.

The elders condemned what they described as double standards, noting that while amnesty and dialogue were extended to other groups, Kanu has remained in solitary detention. They cited the cases of Sunday Igboho and Sheikh El-Zakzaky, who have regained freedom, questioning why Kanu’s case is treated differently.

They further urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South-East governors, traditional rulers, church leaders, youth, and civil society organizations to unite in demanding his release.

“Today it is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; tomorrow it could be any one of us. Injustice to one is injustice to all,” the statement declared.

The council concluded that if Nigeria cannot guarantee justice and fairness to the Igbo people, then they should be allowed to peacefully determine their own destiny.

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