Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has expressed disappointment over the silence of prominent southeastern political figures regarding the continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Sowore revealed that his personal attempts to reach several governors and political leaders from the region ahead of the planned October 20 protest for Kanu’s release were met with silence.
According to him, despite having personal relationships with some of the leaders, none of them responded to his messages or calls.
“Some of them that I used to be able to reach just switched off their lines. The ones I sent messages to never responded,” Sowore said. “I reached out to Soludo, who I know personally, governor of Anambra State — no response till now. I reached out to Alex Otti. Alex Otti used to be a columnist for Sahara Reporters, so I know him personally. No response till now. The only response I got was a nominal one: ‘I know we shouldn’t have dragged us the way you did.’ I reached out to Peter Obi. They said he is in Rome. So I sent a message that, you can behave as Romans do too — just be part of this.”
Sowore suggested that the unwillingness of some southeastern politicians to openly demand Kanu’s release stems from fears that it could affect their political ambitions.
He also accused the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, of distancing itself from the agitation for Kanu’s freedom.
“When I included the release of Nnamdi Kanu as part of the End Bad Government protest in 2024, Ohanaeze Ndigbo issued an official statement saying they were not part of the protest,” he said.
The activist argued that if southeastern leaders — including governors, lawmakers, and traditional rulers — had consistently shown commitment to Kanu’s cause, the detained IPOB leader might have been released long ago.
“If the political leaders and traditional rulers from the Southeast had stood their ground from the beginning, Nnamdi Kanu would not still be in detention today,” Sowore added.
