KEY POINTS
- Pro-Kanu coalition plans a One Million March in Aba Thursday, March 12.
- A court sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on terrorism-related charges in 2025.
- Former Abia lawmaker Obinna Ichita urged protesters to remain peaceful.
A group calling itself the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom has scheduled a mass street protest in Aba, Abia State Thursday, demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra who is serving a life sentence on terrorism-related charges.
The Nnamdi Kanu protest in Aba has been branded a “One Million March” by organisers, who circulated flyers urging supporters from across the South-East region and beyond to converge on the commercial city. The flyer calls on participants to mobilise in large numbers and march peacefully behind a single demand: free their leader.
Who Is Nnamdi Kanu and Why Is He in Prison?
A former member of the Abia State House of Assembly, Obinna Ichita, who is from Aba, issued a statement Wednesday asking those attending to keep the protest orderly. He acknowledged the emotional charge around Kanu’s continued imprisonment while urging restraint.
“While emotions run high around Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, our strength lies in wisdom, unity and respect for life, property and the rule of law. Let us express our concerns peacefully, also respect the authority of security operatives and resist any attempt to politicise the gathering,” Ichita said.
Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, was first arrested in October 2015 on treasonable felony charges. After a period of bail and self-imposed exile, authorities rearrested him in 2021 and returned him to Nigeria under disputed circumstances. His trial wound through the courts for years before a court convicted him in 2025.
Judge James Omotosho found that prosecutors had established beyond reasonable doubt that Kanu used the IPOB platform to incite attacks on security personnel and civilians across the South-East, including during anti-police protests in Lagos. He received a life sentence.
Calls for His Release Have Not Stopped
Furthermore, the Nnamdi Kanu protest in Aba comes months after a separate wave of demonstrations swept through Abuja and several South-East cities, shutting down markets, banks and schools as supporters pressed the federal government to act.
A traditional ruler from Enugu State made headlines in February when he confronted President Bola Tinubu directly at a presidential event, demanding Kanu’s unconditional release or repatriation to Kenya.
Critics of the conviction argue Kanu’s detention is politically motivated. Government supporters say the life sentence reflects the gravity of the charges the court proved.
