A United States–based advocacy group, Ikenga Think-Tank North America, has called on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to rally behind activist Omoyele Sowore’s ongoing peaceful protest campaign for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The call was contained in a communiqué titled “The People’s Communiqué for Justice and Liberation”, signed by the group’s coordinator, Dr. Dankwu Aghambu, and made available to journalists on Saturday.
Dr. Aghambu said the statement was issued “in defense of truth, freedom, and the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” adding that the movement’s objective was to draw attention to what it considers “a long-standing injustice” in Kanu’s detention.
“We are not enemies of the state; we are the soul of the nation,” the communiqué declared. “We do not seek war; we demand justice. We do not bring hate; we bring truth — and truth itself is a revolution.”
According to the group, Kanu’s prolonged detention, despite various court pronouncements, undermines Nigeria’s democratic ideals and global human rights commitments.
The organization said it was imperative for Nigerians across all regions to speak up and participate in peaceful demonstrations aimed at compelling the government to comply with the rule of law.
“The time for silence is over. The time for excuses is gone. The time for action and unity has come,” Dr. Aghambu said. “From the savannas of the North to the forests of the East, from the creeks of the Delta to the plains of Yorubaland, every citizen who believes in justice must rise and lend their voice.”
The communiqué expressed solidarity with Omoyele Sowore, who has been mobilizing peaceful protests across major Nigerian cities to demand Kanu’s release and reforms in the justice system.
“We commend Mazi Omoyele Sowore, another fearless son of the soil, for standing on the side of conscience and courage,” it added. “We urge all patriots, students, traders, workers, and farmers to join this nonviolent movement for justice and accountability.”
The group maintained that its call was not rooted in ethnic or political sentiment but in the pursuit of justice for all Nigerians. It emphasized that the protests must remain peaceful, disciplined, and non-destructive.
“Let this movement be peaceful but unrelenting, disciplined but unshakable, unified but unstoppable,” the statement said. “Let no tribe stand alone, for oppression has no tribe and freedom belongs to all.”
The Ikenga Think-Tank also decried what it described as “a growing culture of impunity” and urged the government to uphold citizens’ constitutional rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.
“The courts, once temples of justice, must return to their sacred duty of protecting truth and fairness,” Dr. Aghambu noted. “The government must listen to the voices of the people rather than silence them.”
He urged authorities to engage in constructive dialogue as a pathway toward national healing and stability.
“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu despite judicial orders sends a troubling signal about the state of justice in our country,” Aghambu said. “Dialogue, not suppression, remains the best tool for resolving grievances and building peace.”
The group concluded with a strong appeal for unity among Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, noting that the struggle for Kanu’s freedom represents a wider demand for human rights and democratic accountability.
“Until justice flows like a river and freedom becomes the air we breathe, we shall not relent,” the statement declared. “Freedom for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Justice for all indigenous peoples. Liberation for Nigeria.”
