Detaining Kanu makes no sense — Obi

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has reiterated his call for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, saying there is no justification for his continued detention.

Obi made the remarks during an interaction with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., United States, in a video that has circulated widely on social media.

According to the Obidient Movement, the engagement took place a few days ago.

The former governor said he had consistently maintained that Kanu should not remain in custody, arguing that individuals should not be detained for expressing their views.

“I have said repeatedly that there is no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. You cannot arrest somebody because he was speaking on the radio or calling people names. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Obi noted that politicians and public office holders are frequently subjected to criticism and insults, stressing that name-calling should not be treated as a criminal offence.

He also stated that dialogue remains the best approach to addressing agitations and separatist movements in the country.

According to him, engaging agitators would enable the government to understand the issues driving their demands and seek lasting solutions.

“Even all agitators, if I were in government today, I would discuss with them and engage them. I believe they have reasons for whatever they want to do, and it is only through engagement that we can understand and solve the problems,” Obi said.

Kanu, the leader of IPOB, is currently serving a life sentence after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on terrorism-related charges in November 2025.

The court found him guilty on multiple counts, including incitement, membership of a proscribed organisation and alleged involvement in attacks linked to separatist activities in the South-East.

Kanu has, however, rejected the judgment and filed an appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence, with his legal team maintaining that the trial was unfair and urging the appellate court to overturn the ruling.