MONARCH PUTS TINUBU ON THE SPOT, DEMANDS KANU’S RELEASE OR DEPORTATION, WARNS OF SOUTH-EAST BACKLASH
A South-East traditional ruler has publicly challenged Bola Ahmed Tinubu to free or deport Nnamdi Kanu, declaring that his continued imprisonment is inflaming youth anger and eroding trust in authorities across the region.
Speaking bluntly at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit in Abuja, Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, the Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, warned the President that ignoring the issue could worsen tensions. He insisted that if Nigeria no longer wants Kanu, authorities should send him back to Kenya or the United Kingdom, where he was before his controversial return.
The monarch’s remarks disrupted what was meant to be a health-sector policy gathering, turning it into a charged political moment. He openly questioned calls for national unity earlier delivered by the Ooni of Ife, accusing the royal figure of hypocrisy for allegedly planning to honour Sunday Igboho, a separatist figure from the South-West he described as Kanu’s counterpart.
Agubuzu warned that traditional rulers themselves were becoming targets of public frustration in the South-East, saying youths increasingly see them as powerless or complicit while Kanu remains jailed. His blunt message: the presidency holds the key and must act before resentment deepens.
