The Igwe of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu LGA, Enugu State, His Royal Highness, Ambassador Dr. Lawerence Agubuzu has asked President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and return him to Kenya or the United Kingdom if they are not comfortable with his presence in Nigeria.

Kanu was arrested in Kenya during the administration of late Muhammadu Buhari and returned to Nigeria to face trial for terrorism charges.

The IPOB leader was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court last year and is now cooling his heels at the maximum security prison in Sokoto.

Many prominent Igbo leaders have been pleading with Tinubu to free the agitator.

The monarch warned that keeping the pro-Biafra leader in jail was causing young people in the Southeast to become more upset and restless.

Agubuzu spoke up during the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, which took place at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

He said, “Having come now to Abuja and listened to His Royal Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, who was encouraging all of us to work as a family, to work as a team, to see Nigeria as one, I said maybe this is good.

“But when you look at it, this same Ooni of Ife is planning to confer a very high honour on Sunday Igboho who, in my own part of the country, we see him as the South west counterpart of Nnamdi Kanu and the Imperial Highness does not seem to understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto. So, sir the ball is your court.

“Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, send him back to Kenya or London, where he came from. Please do something about this. Agubuzu told the President,

“We can’t move forward in this country unless we face the truth.”

UGAMATV reports that the summit, with the theme “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” was held to increase community involvement in health system reforms.

The event, however, took an unexpected turn during the goodwill messages when Agubuzu pressed the President about Kanu’s fate.

He said, “I must tell you, Mr. President, that I don’t feel very happy because you weren’t here in the morning when the Ooni of Ife gave the opening speech and was encouraging everyone to work together as one.”