A coalition of pan-Igbo rights activists known as The Rising Sun Group has strongly criticised the Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, accusing him of using the case of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to gain political favour from President Bola Tinubu.
The group made the accusations in a statement on Wednesday, signed by its coordinators, Maxwell Dede and Reverend Father Augustine Odinmegwa. Their reaction followed an interview Senator Kalu granted on Channels Television, where he claimed that Kanu’s agitation resulted in the death of 30,000 people in the South-East.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, also said in the interview that he had made serious efforts to secure Kanu’s release from detention. The senator was commenting on issues surrounding Kanu’s recent conviction for terrorism and the life sentence given to him by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Rising Sun Group dismissed Kalu’s comments as false and politically motivated. They accused him of deliberately attacking Kanu in an attempt to appear loyal to President Tinubu, especially as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to take shape.
According to the group, Kalu is “among some members of the Igbo elite who are willing to play any role to protect or advance their political interests.” The activists argued that if the senator had nothing helpful to contribute, he should have remained silent instead of “justifying what they described as the persecution of Kanu.”
The statement added:
“Instead of keeping quiet if he had nothing useful to say, Senator Kalu chose to lambast Nnamdi Kanu over his angry reaction to the barefaced injustice meted to him by Justice Omotosho.”
They also accused Kalu of making “wild claims” about his role in Kanu’s temporary release in 2017 and condemned the senator for allegedly looking down on Igbo people who expressed disappointment over the recent judgment.
The Rising Sun Group said Kalu’s comments confirmed what many people in the South-East already believe—that some powerful individuals in the region often distance themselves from causes that affect the general Igbo population in order to stay favourable to the federal government.
“But what Ndigbo will not accept from Orji Uzor Kalu is any attempt to use Kanu’s matter to curry favour from the Presidency. He is only smart by half for thinking that unguarded utterances against the IPOB leader will win him Tinubu’s favour, possibly for a return ticket in 2027.”
The activists also reminded Nigerians that Kalu “vigorously opposed Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023” when he openly supported the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan. They argued that his recent comments should be seen as an attempt to rebrand himself politically now that Tinubu is in power.
The coalition also faulted Senator Kalu for comparing his “calmness” during his trial for alleged financial fraud to Kanu’s courtroom conduct. The group described the comparison as “insulting,” insisting that the two situations are completely different.
They argued that there is “no connection between the offence for which Kalu was convicted and jailed” and the charges brought against Kanu, which they described as politically motivated and unfair.
The statement added that the senator should “stop embarrassing himself in his desperation for political relevance,” arguing that he would not hold public office if Nigeria’s electoral process were more transparent.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention since 2021 after being arrested and returned to Nigeria from Kenya under controversial circumstances. IPOB, the group he leads, has been outlawed by the federal government and labelled a terrorist organisation.
Kanu has repeatedly denied involvement in violence in the region.
His detention has contributed to growing tension in the South-East, where residents have faced insecurity, including attacks by unknown gunmen, police raids, military operations, and the now-reduced Monday sit-at-home orders enforced by armed groups claiming loyalty to IPOB.
Civil society groups, traditional leaders, and political stakeholders across the region have called for a political solution to Kanu’s case, arguing that his continued detention worsens instability in the region.
The Rising Sun Group questioned why Kalu, who claims to have strong influence in Abuja, has not been able to secure a political resolution despite saying he has made “serious efforts” to get Kanu released.
“If he believes he has the powers and influence to get Kanu’s matter resolved politically, what is restraining him from doing so all the while? As a chieftain of the ruling party and political age-mate of President Tinubu, Orji Uzor Kalu should not be waiting for anybody again.”
The activists argued that Kalu has “unfettered access to the powers that be” and therefore should use that access constructively instead of “making comments that worsen distrust among his own people.”
One of the most contentious parts of Kalu’s interview was his claim that Kanu’s agitation resulted in 30,000 deaths. The Rising Sun Group dismissed this figure as baseless and misleading.
They accused security agencies of contributing to violence in the region through what they described as “genocidal killings of IPOB members” in several incidents, including the alleged killings in Nkpor, Onitsha, Aba, and Port Harcourt.
“Since Orji Uzor Kalu claims that over 30,000 people were killed in the South-East as a result of Nnamdi Kanu’s agitation, can he tell the world who authorised the said killings?”
They said IPOB supporters were often victims, not perpetrators, and warned the senator to stop “unfounded and dangerous statements.”
The Rising Sun Group concluded by warning Kalu and “other political opportunists” to refrain from further inflammatory comments. They said history would judge anyone who betrays the interests of the Igbo nation for personal gain.