Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Igboho, calls on detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to embrace dialogue with the Federal Government and seek a negotiated way out of his ordeal.
In a statement signed by his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Igboho hailed Kanu’s recent decision to cancel the controversial Monday sit-at-home order that gripped the South-East for five years.
The statement read, “Chief Sunday Adeyemo wishes to commend the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on his recent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East zone of Nigeria.
“Chief Igboho believes that the move by Mazi Kanu to end the five-year Monday economic siege on the South-East zone is thoughtful.”
But Igboho didn’t stop there. He urged Kanu to go further by engaging the Tinubu administration in talks.
“Chief Igboho urges the IPOB leader to vigorously explore dialogue and mediation with the Federal Government to break the deadlock in his ordeal”, the statement said.
He expressed optimism that President Bola Tinubu’s government may be open to negotiation.
“While it is the fundamental right of Mazi Kanu to pursue self-determination, Chief Igboho believes that the current administration of President Bola Tinubu is predisposed to negotiation and mutual understanding for the peace, shared prosperity, security and the deserved respect that the South-East commands”, the statement added.
Igboho also fired a warning shot at those allegedly cashing in on the region’s unrest.
“Chief Igboho also urges all those who make profits from the desecration and despoliation of the South-East through violence to desist from such acts in the interest of peace and economic prosperity of the region and the nation,” the statement added.
The appeal represents a rare moment of convergence between two prominent separatist figures, as pressure mounts for a peaceful solution to the South-East crisis.
Kanu, who was convicted on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Correctional Centre after being transferred from Abuja.
His family has however vowed to challenge the verdict.
