Thousands of sympathisers of jailed Indigenous People of Biafra helmsman, Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday flooded the streets of Aba, Abia State, in a coordinated show of force aimed at pressing for his freedom.
The rally, which the organisers branded a “One Million March,” was put together by a group identifying itself as the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom, drawing participants from various parts of the South-East to the commercial nerve centre of Abia State.
Ahead of the turnout, the conveners had circulated a flyer urging loyalists across the region to troop out and lend their voices to the push for Kanu’s release from detention.
On the eve of the march, a former lawmaker representing an Aba constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Obinna Ichita, stepped forward with a plea for restraint, urging all who planned to participate to conduct themselves with decorum.
“As Aba citizens prepare to gather tomorrow, I appeal to all participants to act with responsibility, discipline and civility,” the former legislator stated.
“As a proud Aba indigene, my call is guided by ongoing efforts by responsible leaders to secure a peaceful and constructive resolution. While emotions run high around Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, our strength lies in wisdom, unity and respect for life, property and the rule of law.
“Let us express our concerns peacefully, respect the authority of security operatives and resist any attempt to politicise the gathering,” Ichita urged.
Kanu, the self-styled supreme leader of the outlawed IPOB, had his fate sealed in 2025 when a Federal High Court handed down a life sentence against him following his conviction on terrorism-related offences.
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution had successfully proved its case, establishing that Kanu, a dual Nigerian and British national exploited the IPOB structure to whip up violence against security forces and non-combatants across the South-East, and similarly fuelled unrest during the #EndSARS demonstrations in Lagos.
His travails with the law dated back to October 2015, when he was first taken into custody on treasonable felony allegations. Notwithstanding his eventual conviction a decade later, a vociferous segment of the public has sustained the campaign for his unconditional discharge.
