Politics
By Anthony Isibor
A public call on the Federal Government to execute the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has ignited fresh controversy over the long-running separatist crisis in the South-East, with Kanu’s lawyers threatening legal action against both the individual, who made the statement and the television station that aired it.
The comments were made by Chigozie Nnabugwu during an appearance on News Central Television’s Breakfast Xtra programme, where he argued that the death of Kanu would restore peace to the South-East.
“I concur with that. Let me be sincere with you,” Nnabugwu said when asked about Kanu’s continued detention.
According to him, insecurity in the region has declined, following the arrests of prominent separatist figures.
“The time they arrested Nnamdi Kanu, it was like up and down. The time they arrested Simon Ekpa, it reduced by about 50 per cent. The time Nnamdi Kanu was convicted, it reduced to about 10 per cent. That’s what we are battling now,” he said.
He then urged the Federal Government to execute the IPOB leader.
“If Nnamdi Kanu is dead today, if the government of Nigeria will kill Nnamdi Kanu, trust me, normalcy will start coming. That’s all every Igbo man prays for,” he said.
Nnabugwu also argued that military operations alone would not end the violence in the region, calling on religious leaders, traditional institutions and the intellectual community to counter misinformation and discourage support for armed groups.
“The military is not the Holy Spirit that is everywhere. Bombs are still killing people in my community. The military has done a lot, but these people keep planting them again. The only way to solve this problem is to let every Igbo man know the truth and stand by the truth,” he added.
Meanwhile, the remarks drew an immediate response from Kanu’s legal team, which described the comments as a call for an extrajudicial killing.
In a statement signed by Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, the lawyers said they were considering legal proceedings against both Nnabugwu and News Central Television.
According to the statement, the interview was published on the broadcaster’s verified X account on July 19 before attracting widespread attention online.
The legal team described the comments as “reckless, irresponsible and unlawful,” arguing that they endangered Kanu’s life, could incite violence and undermine public order.
The lawyers contended that the remarks could violate Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, which criminalises electronic communications that threaten life or are capable of causing a breakdown of law and order. They also argued that additional criminal liability could arise under the Criminal Code in relation to alleged incitement.
They further accused the television station of providing a platform for inflammatory statements capable of prejudicing an ongoing judicial process, warning that the broadcast could amount to contempt of court because Kanu’s case remains before the courts.
The legal team demanded an immediate public retraction from Nnabugwu and an unqualified televised apology from News Central Television, describing the statement as a pre-action notice ahead of possible litigation.
Kanu’s detention has remained one of Nigeria’s most contentious legal and political issues.
The IPOB leader was first arrested in Lagos in October 2015 on charges bordering on treasonable felony, following his campaign for an independent Biafran state. After spending more than a year in detention, he was granted bail in April 2017 under strict conditions.
In September 2017, following a military operation known as Operation Python Dance around his family home in Afaraukwu, Abia State, Kanu disappeared from Nigeria and later resurfaced abroad, alleging that soldiers had attempted to assassinate him. The Federal Government denied the allegation and subsequently declared him a fugitive after he failed to appear in court.
In June 2021, Kanu was arrested overseas and returned to Nigeria in circumstances that have remained the subject of legal and diplomatic controversy. Nigerian authorities described the operation as a lawful international security action, while his lawyers argued that he was illegally abducted and extraordinarily rendered to Nigeria in violation of international law.
His return reignited legal proceedings on terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Although the Court of Appeal in October 2022 discharged Kanu on jurisdictional grounds after questioning the legality of his rendition, the Supreme Court, in December 2023, overturned that decision and ordered that his trial should continue before the Federal High Court.
Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, throughout the prolonged legal proceedings despite repeated applications for bail by his legal team.
The Federal Government has repeatedly linked escalating violence in the South-East to IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, accusing the groups of attacks on security personnel, government facilities and enforcement of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order.
IPOB has consistently denied responsibility for many of the attacks and maintains that criminals have hijacked its agitation to perpetrate violence across the region.
The arrest of Finland-based separatist agitator Simon Ekpa in late 2024 by Finnish authorities was widely welcomed by Nigerian officials, who argued that it disrupted the coordination of sit-at-home orders and online incitement. Some security analysts have since reported a decline in compliance with the orders and a reduction in certain categories of attacks, although violent incidents continue in parts of the South-East.
Despite years of military deployments under operations such as Golden Dawn and other joint security operations, insecurity has persisted, with attacks on security formations, kidnappings and improvised explosive devices continuing to pose challenges in several communities.
The latest controversy over calls for Kanu’s execution is expected to intensify debate over whether the South-East crisis can be resolved primarily through security operations or whether a lasting solution requires political dialogue, judicial resolution and broader engagement with the grievances that gave rise to the separatist movement.
A.I
July 22, 2026
Tags: Aloy Ejimakor Anthony Isibor Chigozie Nnabugwu Eastern Security Network ESN IPOB Nnamdi Kanu