The World Igbo Congress, Wednesday, urged the faithful of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be peaceful when they embark on the October 20, 2025 protest to press for the release of Kanu.
Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and is being detained in the custody of the Department of the State Services, Abuja, over an alleged terrorism.
The World Igbo Congress, in a release signed by its Chairman, Dr Festus Okere, and Secretary, Sir Chris Ogara, described the continued detention of Kanu as an injustice to Ndigbo.
According to the release, “When injustice speaks, the world listens!
We are at a moment when silence is no longer an option. The chains on Nnamdi Kanu are not just chains on one man, they are chains on freedom, on justice, and on truth itself.”
The congress said Kanu’s incarceration was because of his call for justice for his Igbo race. Quoting the release, “Here is a man who was not found with a weapon, who never raised a gun, who never shed innocent blood. His only weapon was his voice – sharp, unyielding, relentless in demanding freedom for his people. And for that, he was abducted, renditioned in secrecy, and locked away. Is this justice – or persecution?”
The congress argued that Kanu had not been found guilty by any competent court worldwide, including Nigerian Supreme Court, Kenyan Court or the World Court, hence his detention was politically influenced.
The release added, “Let this be clear: the demand for his release is not the cry of one tribe—it is the demand for justice itself. The peaceful protest, led by a committed activist, brethren Sowore, devoid of tribe, is most welcome.”
The group called on all lovers of justice, fairness, and unity “to join in this peaceful protest on the 20th of October 2025”, adding that, “When injustice persists for too long, it ceases to be a local problem and becomes a global one. And Nigeria must understand – its future cannot be built on silencing its own.”
The congress demanded to know “why Nigerian bandits and terrorists can gather openly, brandishing weapons, negotiating with the state as if they are kings, and getting presidential pardons; yet a man who spoke only with words languishes in prison?”
The release continued, “What does that say about the kind of freedom we pretend to practise? US President Donald Trump warned that when governments fear the voice of their own citizens, they are no longer leading with strength, but with fear. And he is right – the world is watching Nigeria. History is watching Nigeria. To lock up your children for daring to speak is not the act of a strong nation – it is the confession of a frightened one.”
The congress also berated Igbo leaders for not showing enough commitment towards the freedom of Kanu. They asked, “Where were those who should have stood for their brother? Where were some of the Igbo governors when
their son was dragged across borders like a criminal? They chose comfort over courage, power over
people, silence over truth. History will not be forgotten.
“To you, our people, we say: no prison cell is strong enough to chain the human spirit. No silence is deep. The world is beginning to hear. From the United States Senate, where Nigeria is being pressed for designation as a Country of Special Concern, to the voices of presidents and revolutionaries who dare to speak, Nnamdi Kanu’s name echoes across borders.
“We say: Release Nnamdi Kanu. Stop persecuting the Igbo people. Protect the Christians from
being slaughtered in their churches and their communities. Show the world that Nigeria has the strength to choose freedom over fear, unity over division, justice over oppression.
“Because the world is watching. Because history is recording. And because the cry of the oppressed will always outlive the silence of their oppressors. God bless Nnamdi Kanu. God bless the Igbo people. God bless Nigeria – and every voice that still dares to speak.”
Leave a Comment