The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has thrown its weight behind the nationwide protest scheduled for October 20, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement released on Monday, October 13, the National President of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, warned President Bola Tinubu that Nigeria risks plunging into chaos if Kanu remains in detention.
He urged the president to heed the voice of reason and end what the group described as years of injustice against both Kanu and the Southeast region.
Igboayaka stressed that the planned demonstration, initiated by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, is not a personal campaign but a nationwide call for justice and fairness.
He said the protest would unite Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines in a demand for equality and freedom.
“The October 20 protest at Aso Rock Villa is not Comrade Omoyele Sowore’s protest,” he said.
“It is a pan-Nigerian movement demanding the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”
The group dismissed claims that the protest was a publicity stunt, saying such remarks undermine its patriotic intent.
“We caution against attempts to downplay this movement as mere attention-seeking,” the statement added.
Drawing parallels to the 2020 EndSARS protests, OYC noted that the upcoming demonstration is driven by the same spirit of resistance against oppression and injustice.
It accused the federal government of applying double standards by detaining Kanu while granting amnesty to Boko Haram fighters and bandits responsible for mass killings and destruction.
“Nnamdi Kanu’s only offence was calling for a referendum,” Igboayaka stated.
“Yet, while insurgents are reintegrated into society and even recruited into the military, Kanu remains detained and prosecuted.”
The council also condemned the continuous delay in Kanu’s trial and the government’s refusal to obey court rulings.
It described the actions as a deliberate attempt to frustrate justice and suppress dissent.
OYC called on Southeast governors, senators, and traditional rulers to rise in solidarity with the call for Kanu’s freedom.
The group insisted that his release is vital for peace, national unity, and political stability.
Concluding, Igboayaka appealed to President Tinubu to demonstrate statesmanship by ending Kanu’s detention.
“To avert Nigeria’s slide into chaos, the President should direct the Attorney General to withdraw all charges and ensure Kanu’s unconditional release,” he said.
