The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission (CIMC), under the leadership of Rev. Tony Uzor, wishes to express its profound concern, sadness, and disappointment over the continued silence and lack of decisive action by the majority of Igbo governors regarding the prolonged detention of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Following the judgment delivered by Justice Omotosho, governors from the South-East publicly assured the Igbo people that they would urgently seek an audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explore a political, humane, and just resolution to this matter. That promise raised hope across Igbo land and beyond.
Regrettably, as of today, only one governor has demonstrated sincerity and courage by honoring that commitment — Governor Alex Otti of Abia State. The rest have failed to match words with action.
This issue can no longer be excused as a matter of delay, scheduling conflicts, or political logistics. The painful reality confronting our people is that many of these leaders lack genuine commitment to the cause they publicly claim to support. What was once presented as collective resolve has degenerated into hollow assurances and repeated disappointments.
The Roots of the Silence: Fear and Political Self-Preservation
It is time to speak truthfully, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
Many Igbo political leaders are deeply uncomfortable with the influence and popularity of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They fear his boldness, his unwavering voice, and the profound loyalty he commands among ordinary Igbo men and women. More importantly, they fear that his freedom would expose years of political compromise, calculated silence, and cooperation with structures that have consistently marginalized the Igbo people.
Except for Governor Alex Otti, many have found it convenient to watch an innocent man remain in detention rather than confront the moral and political consequences of standing firmly for justice.
These leaders know the truth.
They know Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s cause is rooted in genuine concern for the survival and dignity of the Igbo people.
They know he consistently spoke against oppression and neglect.
They also know that the Eastern Security Network (ESN) emerged at a time when communities were under attack and state protection had clearly failed.
Furthermore, they are aware that criminal elements were later sponsored and disguised as agitators to sabotage the struggle, terrorize communities, and tarnish the image of a legitimate movement — all in a calculated attempt to blackmail the entire Igbo cause.
The False Narrative Around Sit-At-Home Orders
Let the record be set straight.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not declare the Monday sit-at-home. That action arose spontaneously from the pain, anger, and frustration of a people who felt unheard and oppressed. Even more crucially, he made repeated efforts to stop it.
In 2022, during a visit to the Department of State Services (DSS) facility by Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu pleaded passionately with DSS officials to allow him address the people directly and call for an end to sit-at-home actions and any form of unrest. Governor Soludo personally witnessed this appeal and joined in urging the DSS to grant that request.
The DSS refused.
That refusal created a vacuum which criminal groups — some allegedly backed by vested interests — exploited to unleash violence, fuel insecurity, and later shift blame onto a man who was physically isolated and denied communication with the public.
Even while in open court, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu publicly called for an end to sit-at-home and all violence. He went as far as issuing a handwritten statement making it clear that anyone enforcing sit-at-home orders was not acting on his behalf or under his instruction.
It is therefore dishonest and illogical to claim that a man held in solitary detention was coordinating insecurity across the South-East. Such claims are not only false but deliberately misleading.
An Appeal to Conscience and Leadership
The South-East Governors’ Forum has made several public commitments to engage the President on this matter, yet none — apart from one — has been fulfilled. The Igbo people must now confront a difficult truth: some of their elected leaders do not truly desire the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because his freedom threatens political structures built on compromise, silence, and self-interest.
However, history keeps accurate records.
Conscience does not forget.
And the eyes of God and the Igbo people remain fixed on those entrusted with leadership.
Our Clear and Urgent Demands
The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission therefore calls for the following:
• That President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervenes decisively to bring this prolonged injustice to a humane and honorable end.
• That Igbo governors either rise to their responsibility and act immediately or stop misleading the people with empty declarations.
• That the Igbo people, and all well-meaning Nigerians, reject falsehood, resist manipulation, and stand firmly on the side of truth and justice.
You may imprison a man, but truth cannot be confined.
You may delay justice, but history cannot be erased.
The case of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu goes beyond one individual. It speaks directly to justice, dignity, equity, and the future of the Igbo people within the Nigerian project.
Signed:
Rev. Tony Uzor
President
Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission (CIMC)
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