Prominent Yoruba leader Sunday Igboho has called on Igbo leaders to emulate former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka by visiting Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu at Sokoto Prison. Igboho emphasized the importance of solidarity and unity among Nigeria’s ethnic groups in navigating the sensitive political and security issues surrounding Kanu’s incarceration. This call comes amid ongoing tensions and the recent life sentence handed to Kanu, which has sparked widespread reactions among the Southeast people.
Igboho’s message, conveyed through notable figures such as Ejimakor, underlines that visits by respected national leaders to Kanu could foster dialogue, reduce tensions, and demonstrate a commitment to peaceful resolution. The visits by Obasanjo and Soyinka to Kanu were seen as symbolic gestures of support and national interest, and Igboho stresses the need for Igbo leaders to show similar courage and concern. The development reflects continuing efforts to find avenues for de-escalation and national reconciliation in Nigeria’s complex political environment.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State recently visited Kanu in Sokoto Prison, encouraging him to remain calm and strong while assuring that efforts to resolve his situation are ongoing, further signaling political engagement at high levels.