Ndi Igbo in Germany and a coalition of Nigerians in the diaspora have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Friday and jointly signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Benjamin Chinaka, and Secretary General, Chinasa Ezeji.
According to the statement, the appeal followed an emergency meeting held on November 21, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany, where members expressed grave concern over the reported life sentence recently handed to Kanu by a Nigerian court.
The group warned that the development could heighten ethnic tensions and further destabilize Nigeria’s already fragile political environment.
“Nigeria is currently grappling with serious security and socio-political challenges. At such a delicate time, this judgment may further widen divisions among ethnic groups and undermine democratic cohesion,” the communiqué stated.
They urged President Tinubu to “exercise his constitutional prerogative of mercy” and consider granting Kanu a presidential pardon.
The diaspora body noted that many of Kanu’s long-standing grievances mirror the frustrations of ordinary Nigerians—particularly in the South-East—who feel economically sidelined, politically marginalized, and insecure within the present national structure.
They appealed to the President to “take a magnanimous decision in the interest of national unity, peace, and stability,” arguing that Kanu’s release could help rebuild public trust in the Nigerian project.
The renewed call comes amid growing domestic and international pressure for a more reconciliatory approach to addressing separatist agitations and regional discontent in the South-East.
DAILY POST reports that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court recently convicted Kanu and sentenced him to life imprisonment on terrorism-related charges. He has since been transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
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