Media mogul and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has urged the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, emphasizing that the agitation in the South-East cannot be resolved through force or prolonged detention.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Momodu accompanied his appeal with a video clip of one of Kanu’s broadcasts recorded shortly before his controversial repatriation from Kenya.
He stated that the push for Biafra is rooted in what he described as longstanding political and economic marginalisation of the Igbo people.
“Shortly before his abduction from Kenya, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu made a thought-provoking broadcast explaining why he and his supporters became radicalised,” Momodu wrote. “Many who condemn him do so without understanding the historical and political context that reignited the Biafran sentiment.”
According to Momodu, attempts to silence Kanu or suppress the movement will not address the underlying issues.
“Efforts to eliminate or silence him—whether from opponents or even within his own community—will not end the agitation,” he said. “The Igbo struggle goes beyond court processes. It requires urgent political reconfiguration.”
While maintaining that he does not support violence, the former presidential candidate urged the government to adopt constructive engagement rather than confrontation.
“I will never support violence. But any sensible government will engage the brilliant minds of the South-East productively, rather than perpetuating hostility,” he stated.
His remarks come amid growing appeals from traditional leaders, civil rights groups, and political stakeholders for the Federal Government to consider a political resolution and release Kanu.
Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) following his re-arrest in 2021, despite several court rulings ordering his release.
