Nigerian Traditional Ruler Appeals for Nnamdi Kanu's Release

During the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health in Abuja, Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, a traditional ruler from Nigeria's South-East, publicly appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release or repatriate Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra. Agubuzu warned that Kanu's continued detention fuels youth agitation in the South-East and erodes the credibility of traditional rulers. He also criticized the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, for allegedly planning to honor Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba Nation activist, while Nnamdi Kanu remains imprisoned, calling it a contradiction to calls for national unity. The Ooni of Ife defended the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council, whose legitimacy Agubuzu also questioned, asserting its unity and voluntary membership.