The youth of Ibeku ancient kingdom in Umuahia, Abia State, have expressed their support for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The youths drew parallels between their kinsman, Kanu, and the reverred late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, who "stood for truth, equity, and justice."

In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, after an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening at their national secretariat in Isieke Ibeku, the youths expressed regret over what they described as a misunderstanding of Kanu's pursuit of fairness and equality for all Nigerians.

The communique signed by their National President, Martins Chiedozie Nwosu; and Secretary, Chibuzor Onwukamuche, respectively, urged Tinubu to free Kanu, just as the Yoruba nation promoter, Sunday Igboho; and social crusader, Omoyele Sowore, also charged for treason; had been freed.

They criticised the decision to detain Kanu instead of engaging constructively with the issues he raised and emphasised that his intentions were aimed at addressing fundamental societal issues.

The youths, however, argued that Kanu was not a terrorist but was only concerned about the perpetual injustice against his people and was crying out for equity.

The communique signed by their National President, Martins Chiedozie Nwosu; and Secretary, Chibuzor Onwukamuche, respectively, urged Tinubu to free Kanu, just as the Yoruba nation promoter, Sunday Igboho; and social crusader, Omoyele Sowore, also charged for treason; had been freed.

The letter read, "Identifying his continued detention despite previous court orders for his unconditional release, as the major cause of tension and insecurity in the South East, the youths strongly urged the President to consider the growing appeals from across Nigeria for his release.

”Our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu only stood for truth, equity and justice for the Igbo tribe and the Eastern part of Nigeria, just like Nelson Mandela of South Africa. Hence, his incarceration at the Department of State Services, DSS, has become unbearable to us his kinsmen and brothers; knowing full well the catastrophe, instability and insecurity that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s detention has brought to the Eastern part of Nigeria.”

Warning politicians against any attempt to politicise the ordeals of Kanu, Ibeku youths appreciated all those genuinely committed to his freedom.

However, they urged the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to caution ex-Presidential Aide, Reno Omokir, against making unguarded utterances and provocative comments on Kanu.

“We urge politicians not to politicize the detention of our dear brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and to objectively work towards his unconditional release.

“We implore Ohaneze Ndigbo to advise Reno Omokiri to always sensor his utterances on the issues concerning the release of our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”.

“We the members of Ibeku Youths Association- a Socio Cultural Association of Youthful Natives of Ibeku Ancient Kingdom- the home of Major General J.T.U Aguiyi- Ironsi, GCFR, humbly wish to use this medium to express our heart brokenness and weariness over the arbitrary and continued detention of our dear brother- Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite court’s ruling that he be released.

“We hold this strong opinion that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu meant well for the Eastern part of Nigeria, Southern part of Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole; he took up the responsibility to agitate for equity and justice, and inclusion of the Easterners and Southerners in the affairs of Nigeria, in the guise of agitation for Biafra.

“The then Government of Nigeria failed to address the root cause of the agitation, and misconstrued the essence of the agitation, and hastily proscribed the peaceful and non-violent group led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained him, killed and maimed, majorly, the Igbo youths of Eastern Nigeria.

“The whole world witnessed the genocidal and reprisal killing of the youths and our brothers of the Eastern part of Nigeria in 2017 when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s home town was besiege by security agents who killed hundreds of our brothers, Igbo youths, and Eastern youths who came to felicitate with him on his release on bail by the then Government of Nigeria.

“This mayhem and the pursuit to exterminate his life by the then Government of Nigeria caused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to flee Nigeria for his life.

“We are very much aware of the controversies surrounding his re-arrest by the then Government of Nigeria, but, we wish to use this medium to beacon on you and plead with you, His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Father of all Nigerians, to graciously effect the release of our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, because his continuous detention and incarceration has become a burden on our conscience and an unbearable burden in deed;

“knowing full well the instability, insecurity and economic hardship his detention has occasioned the people of the Eastern part of Nigeria.

” We do not underplay the efforts of your Government to peacefully address worsening hostilities in our country, but we believe that one of the best ways to bring to an end the issues of instability, insecurity and economic hardship in Eastern Nigeria, and to bring to an end Igbo marginalization in Nigeria is to release our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“We, hoping for your clemency, wish to remind you, our dear President, that Messrs Sowore, and Igboho who were also charged with similar offences have all been released and discharged of the charges by the Federation Government of Nigeria.

“Hence, we pray you, His Excellency, to extend this same gesture to our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to strengthen our hope in the verse of our National Anthem that says “… though tribe and tongue may defer, in brotherhood we stand”; and most especially, to restore peace in the Eastern part of Nigeria, and strengthen our hope in one Nigeria.”

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the South-East Governors Forum agreed to meet with President Bola Tinubu and engage with the Nigerian government to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

This decision was contained in a communiqué issued after a six-hour meeting at the Enugu State Government House on Tuesday.

All five governors from the region - Peter Mbah (Enugu), Alex Otti (Abia), Prof Charles Soludo (Anambra), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), and Senator Hope Uzodimma (Imo) - attended the meeting and signed the five-point communiqué.

The forum also resolved to implement the report of the South East Security and Economic Summit held in Owerri on September 28, 2023, with actionable plans.