By Deborah Nnamdi
Founder of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazurike, has declared his readiness to lead a peaceful protest in Abuja or any part of the country to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a video message released on Wednesday, Uwazurike described Kanu’s prolonged detention as a “political injustice” against the Igbo nation, saying the matter transcends individual grievances and highlights systemic discrimination against the South-East.
“I’ve listened to the court proceedings and the presentations by Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers, and I want to say that I wish to be part of any peaceful demonstration in Abuja or anywhere in Nigeria for his release,” Uwazurike stated.
The MASSOB founder revealed that he had contacted Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Alloy Ejimakor, to volunteer as one of the defence witnesses in the ongoing trial.
Uwazurike stressed that the planned demonstration would be entirely peaceful, adding that his motive was driven by justice, not politics.
“This is not just about Nnamdi Kanu; this is about Ndigbo. If anybody thinks that Kanu is being humiliated today, no — it is Ndigbo that are being humiliated,” he said.
He also faulted what he called the federal government’s “double standards” in handling terrorism-related cases, accusing authorities of negotiating with insurgents from other regions while keeping Igbo agitators in prolonged detention.
“This has nothing to do with terrorism but with deep-rooted injustice against Ndigbo. We must do this for the future of our children. I will be there,” Uwazurike declared.
Kanu, who once served as Director of Media under Uwazurike in MASSOB before founding IPOB in London, has remained in detention since his controversial rendition to Nigeria in 2021.
