The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Friday, condemned the planned nationwide protests calling for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing the move as a dangerous blackmail against the Nigerian state.
The group accused certain politicians and activists of hypocrisy and ethnic bias, warning that their current agitation for Kanu’s release is a calculated political maneuver ahead of the 2027 elections.
The National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, disclosed this in Abuja, during a press briefing, said the agitation, allegedly spearheaded by some Igbo political and cultural elites, activist Omoyele Sowore, and a few “unpatriotic northern collaborators,” amounts to a direct attempt to intimidate the judiciary and destabilize the country’s fragile peace.
The group recalled since 2016, Nnamdi Kanu has been accused of using IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), to promote hate, division, and violence, resulting in widespread killings, destruction of public infrastructure, and targeted attacks against security operatives and Northerners in the Southeast. In 2017, it issued the historic Kaduna Declaration, warning both Nigeria and the international community about the growing threat of IPOB’s violent separatism.
Charanchi maintained that recent events have vindicated its position, arguing that “unchecked extremism only grows into full-blown terrorism.”
CNG also said it had petitioned global organizations such as the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing IPOB’s alleged human rights abuses and calls for ethnic cleansing.
He stressed that no amount of protest, media propaganda, or emotional manipulation would erase IPOB’s atrocities or compel the Nigerian state to compromise the rule of law.
Charanchi said: “The Coalition of Northern Groups reaffirms that no nation can survive when treason is rewarded and justice is politicized. Releasing Nnamdi Kanu under mob pressure would not heal Nigeria; it would embolden lawlessness and erode public confidence in justice.
“The CNG stands firm in defense of the rule of law, national unity, and the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for peace. The group calls on President Tinubu, political leaders, and Nigerians at large to choose justice over sentiment, and national interest over sectional appeasement. Nigeria must not bow to emotional blackmail. The law must take its course, for without justice, there can be no peace.”
CNG further noted that more than 400 security personnel had been killed in IPOB-related attacks, leaving behind widows, orphans, and grieving families, insisting that justice for these victims must never be compromised.
The Coalition made several calls and demands, urging both the government and citizens to uphold justice and resist intimidation.
He added, “CNG condemns unequivocally the planned protests for Kanu’s release, describing them as reckless, provocative, and a direct affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and judiciary.
“Urges the Federal Government to see Kanu’s trial to its logical conclusion, ensuring that justice is neither delayed nor diluted under political pressure. Calls on security agencies to remain alert and proactive in preventing any breakdown of law and order during these orchestrated protests.
“Demands an immediate investigation into individuals and organizations funding, coordinating, or promoting these destabilizing protests under the guise of human rights advocacy.
“Warring with the sacred principles of separation of powers and judicial independence President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reclaim his statesmanship by resisting every attempt to cajole or blackmail the Presidency into interfering.
“Appeals to patriotic Nigerians, especially peace-loving citizens of the Southeast, to reject calls to anarchy, embrace dialogue, and support genuine efforts toward development, peace, and unity.”