Ahead of the planned October 20 protest march in Abuja demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a prominent global Igbo association, Ndi Igbo World Union (NIWU), has called on Igbos across the world to rally behind the movement.
The peaceful march, which will culminate at the Presidential Villa, is being championed by activist Omoyele Sowore. It has also drawn support from several notable Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued from Peabody, Massachusetts, USA, and signed by Chairman Benjamin I. Nwankwo and Secretary Chief Charles C. Edemuzor, Ndi Igbo World Union urged Igbos everywhere to “stand up for justice” by joining or supporting the #FreeMaziNnamdiKanuNow peaceful demonstration.
Titled “Clarion Call to All Igbos Worldwide: Stand Up for Justice — Join the #FreeMaziNnamdiKanuNow Peaceful March to Aso Rock,” the group emphasized that the march is not a violent protest but a peaceful expression of conscience.
“This historic peaceful march to Aso Rock on Monday, October 20, 2025, is not a protest of violence but a moral pilgrimage of conscience — a call for Nigeria to return to justice, humanity, and the rule of law,” the statement read.
The group described Kanu as “a pre-eminent freedom fighter of Africa” whose continued detention violates both Nigerian and international laws.
“His incarceration is a stain on the conscience of any nation that claims to practice democracy and justice. We owe it to history and posterity to stand in defense of truth and liberty,” the union said.
Ndi Igbo World Union commended all public figures who have voiced support for Kanu’s release, including Sowore, Hon. Obi Aguocha, and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. It also urged the Abia State House of Assembly and other Igbo bodies — from student unions to market associations, churches, and diaspora chapters — to mobilize peacefully and massively.
Reiterating its commitment to peace, the union cautioned participants to remain disciplined and avoid provocations.
“We reject every form of violence, hate, or provocation. The world is watching — our strength lies in our restraint and moral authority. Let our chants be songs of peace and our feet march with dignity.”
The statement also warned Igbos to “beware of mischief-makers” bent on creating division, urging them to “stand firm, for truth and history are on our side.”
Calling on global institutions to intervene, the group said,
“We urge the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS Court, and the international community to recognize that Nnamdi Kanu’s detention is a human rights crisis. The demand for his release is lawful, peaceful, and global.”
Concluding, the group appealed for unity and restraint, declaring:
“Let us march for justice, not vengeance; freedom, not anarchy; unity, not fear. History has placed this duty on our generation — and we must not fail.”
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