Emotions ran high in Afaraukwu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, over the weekend as residents gathered at the ancestral square of Ugwu Ugba to press for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
At the centre of the appeal was 99-year-old Mrs. Serah Oparaocha, who told community members that her greatest wish is to see Kanu regain his freedom before she dies. Speaking slowly but firmly, the nonagenarian described the IPOB leader as her grandson and pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant him release on humanitarian grounds.
“Tell the President to free my grandson so I can set my eyes on him again before I go to meet my Creator,” she said, drawing sympathy from those present. She added that such an act would be a meaningful farewell gift at this stage of her life.
The gathering, convened by elders and members of the Etitinabu Na Ndagbo kindred, also featured a solemn assembly and press briefing where speakers expressed concern over what they termed the prolonged suffering of their son and the emotional toll on his immediate family.
Reading from a communiqué issued after deliberations, Prof. Udochukwu Ogbonna said Kanu remains a valued member of the community whose continued imprisonment has left relatives and residents deeply distressed. He appealed directly to President Tinubu to show compassion and consider steps that would allow Kanu to reunite with his family.
Other contributors at the event, including Prof. Leo Obinna, Ikechukwu Ndubueze and Mrs. Victoria Ngozi Orjinanta, described Kanu as peaceful and law-abiding. They questioned why some other agitators accused of related offences were not currently in custody while Kanu continues to serve a life sentence.
Kanu was rearrested in 2021 after being apprehended in Kenya and returned to Nigeria. On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court convicted him on terrorism-related charges filed by the Federal Government and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Kanu has maintained that he is innocent of the allegations and has argued that the legal basis of his conviction is flawed.
Speakers at the Afaraukwu meeting said his release, in their view, would help ease tensions and foster stability in the South-East. They also thanked Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and House of Representatives member Obi Aguocha for what they described as ongoing efforts to secure his freedom.
The community concluded by urging the Federal Government to explore dialogue and reconciliation as part of broader efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.
