The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the planned nationwide protests demanding the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing the move as a dangerous act of blackmail against the Nigerian state.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, CNG’s National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, accused certain politicians, activists, and ethnic leaders of using the agitation as a political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Charanchi alleged that the campaign for Kanu’s release, reportedly championed by some Igbo elites, activist Omoyele Sowore, and a few “unpatriotic northern collaborators,” was a calculated attempt to intimidate the judiciary and destabilize the country’s fragile peace.
He recalled that since 2016, Kanu and IPOB have been accused of promoting hate, violence, and division through the group’s militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), resulting in the deaths of security personnel and destruction of infrastructure in the Southeast.
“The Coalition of Northern Groups reaffirms that no nation can survive when treason is rewarded and justice is politicized,” Charanchi said.
“Releasing Nnamdi Kanu under mob pressure would not heal Nigeria; it would embolden lawlessness and erode confidence in justice.”
The group said it had submitted petitions to international bodies, including the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing IPOB’s alleged human rights abuses and incitement to violence.
CNG also claimed that more than 400 security operatives had been killed in IPOB-related attacks, stressing that justice for the victims must not be compromised.
The group urged the Federal Government to ensure that Kanu’s trial runs its full course without political interference, and called on security agencies to remain alert to prevent any breakdown of law and order during the proposed protests.
It further demanded an investigation into individuals and organisations funding or coordinating the demonstrations, warning that such actions threaten Nigeria’s sovereignty and judicial independence.
CNG appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and political leaders to resist pressure and uphold the rule of law, while urging citizens, especially in the Southeast, to reject calls to anarchy and embrace peace, dialogue, and national unity.
