The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdurosheed Akanbi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant presidential amnesty to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, as part of efforts to promote national healing, reconciliation and unity.
The monarch said the Federal Government should consider releasing Kanu as part of wider measures to address the lingering grievances associated with the Nigerian Civil War and its aftermath.
Oba Akanbi made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Ibrahim Alli.
The traditional ruler commended the Tinubu administration for what he described as an inclusive approach to governance but urged the President to take further steps towards reconciliation by considering Kanu’s release.
He said addressing the historical grievances of the Igbo people was important to building lasting peace and unity in Nigeria.
“Lingering resentment among some members of the Igbo community over the civil war should be addressed through deliberate healing, dialogue and reconciliation.
“The post-war frustration being nursed by Igbos cannot be easily healed.
“While I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reintegration process as unprecedented, I call for further historical steps such as granting a presidential amnesty to the incarcerated leader of the Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu,” the monarch said.
The Nigerian Civil War, fought between 1967 and 1970, remains one of the most painful periods in the country’s history. The conflict followed the declaration of the independent Republic of Biafra by the then Eastern Region and resulted in a devastating war between the Federal Government and Biafran forces.
Millions of people died during the conflict, while many more were displaced or affected by hunger, destruction and loss of property.
Although the war ended more than five decades ago, issues surrounding the conflict and its aftermath continue to feature in political and social discussions, particularly in the South-East.
It is against this background that Oba Akanbi said the Federal Government needed to adopt deliberate measures to heal what he described as old wounds.
The monarch proposed the establishment of a panel to examine historical grievances and promote reconciliation among communities affected by the civil war.
He argued that addressing the concerns of the Igbo people would also benefit Nigeria as a whole.
“A panel can be set to address the healing of the Igbos. The healing of the Igbos is a healing to Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
Oba Akanbi compared the lingering effects of the civil war to post-traumatic stress, noting that the effects of violent conflicts could continue long after the fighting had ended.
According to him, communities that experience war can carry psychological and social wounds across generations.
He said the deaths recorded during the civil war had left deep scars and that the country needed dialogue and reconciliation to deal with historical grievances.
The Oluwo’s appeal comes against the background of Kanu’s long-running legal battle with the Federal Government.
Kanu, who is the leader of IPOB, has been at the centre of renewed agitation for the actualisation of Biafra, a separate state sought by some groups in the South-East and parts of the South-South.
IPOB was formed in 2012 and has campaigned for the independence of territories it considers part of the former Biafra. The Federal Government designated the organisation a terrorist group in 2017, a classification IPOB has rejected.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to Nigeria to face charges brought against him by the Federal Government. His case has generated significant political and public debate, particularly over his detention and the methods used to bring him back into the country.
His supporters have repeatedly demanded his release, while the Federal Government has maintained that he must face the legal process.
Against this background, Oba Akanbi acknowledged that Kanu’s activities had serious consequences but asked President Tinubu to look beyond the individual and consider the wider history and identity of the Igbo people.
“I acknowledged the magnitude of Kanu’s excess that warranted his imprisonment. I appeal to the president to consider the identity of his tribe, not an individual,” the monarch said.
He suggested that Kanu could be cautioned and counselled as part of any reconciliation process before his release.
The traditional ruler also expressed hope that the IPOB leader would embrace peace and discourage violence among his supporters if granted freedom.
For Oba Akanbi, the proposed amnesty is therefore not simply about Kanu but about using his case as part of a broader effort to address distrust and resentment that have persisted in parts of the country.
The monarch stressed that his appeal should not be interpreted as a call for protests or confrontation with the Federal Government.
“I am not calling people for protest but making an holistic appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to honour the tribe by releasing Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to move away from what he described as tribal attachments and old grievances that continue to divide the country.
“There must be love for one another in this country. Nigeria is divided along tribal attachment because of the past experience. We must stop nursing old wounds. The time is ripe to heal the wound,” he added.
The call adds to a long-running debate over how Nigeria can address the political and security challenges associated with separatist agitation in the South-East.
The region has witnessed years of tension linked to demands for self-determination, arrests and prosecutions of separatist activists, as well as attacks blamed by authorities on armed groups operating in the area.
The situation has also affected economic activities in parts of the South-East, with residents and businesses at different times facing disruptions linked to sit-at-home orders and security concerns.
Supporters of Kanu have argued that his continued detention could deepen resentment, while those opposed to his release maintain that the government must uphold the rule of law and ensure that serious allegations are properly addressed.
Oba Akanbi’s proposal seeks to place the matter within a wider framework of reconciliation rather than treating it only as a criminal or security issue.
He believes that dialogue, historical reflection and deliberate efforts to rebuild trust could help reduce ethnic tensions and strengthen national unity.
The monarch’s call also reflects a broader argument that Nigeria’s unity cannot be sustained by security measures alone. Proponents of reconciliation have often said that political grievances, feelings of exclusion and historical memories must also be addressed.
As the Tinubu administration continues to face calls to tackle insecurity, economic hardship and political divisions, the Oluwo has urged the President to consider reconciliation as another important part of nation-building.
For Oba Akanbi, granting Kanu presidential amnesty would send a message that Nigeria is prepared to confront painful parts of its history and create a new basis for unity.
He maintained that healing the wounds associated with the civil war would not amount to reopening the conflict but would help the country move beyond it.
The monarch therefore urged the President to consider Kanu’s case as part of a broader national reconciliation process, saying that addressing old wounds remained necessary if Nigerians were to build a more united country.