Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has revealed that his very first meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after assuming office centered on the detention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu on Monday, August 25, 2025, Governor Mbah reiterated his appeal for Kanu’s release, describing his continued detention as unjust.
“My first visit to the President was about Nnamdi Kanu. I believe that the right thing to do is to release him. Hopefully, that will be done soon,” he said.
The Enugu governor emphasized that his administration has successfully ended the “Monday sit-at-home” order in the state, which was largely fueled by Kanu’s incarceration.
“We met a situation where people were compelled to stay at home every Monday. Today, traders in Ogbete and other markets now operate freely, and normal activities have returned. Monday sit-at-home has ended in Enugu, as you can see for yourselves,” Mbah stated.
Meanwhile, the federal government, led by President Tinubu, has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss Kanu’s no-case submission in his ongoing terrorism-related trial. Counsel to the FG, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), argued that there was sufficient evidence for the case to continue.
The IPOB leader has been in detention since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021, a situation that continues to stir heated debates and calls for justice.
Prominent voices, including Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, have also demanded Kanu’s release, insisting that keeping him in detention is unjustifiable and counterproductive to peace and security in the Southeast.
Governor Mbah, however, insists that releasing Nnamdi Kanu is the “right step towards healing, peace, and national unity.”
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