Youth leaders from 17 Southern states have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the immediate and unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The demand was made under the umbrella of the Supreme Council of Southern Nigerian Youth Leaders during their three-day Inaugural Strategic Meeting held in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the council’s president, Arthur Obiora, flanked by youth representatives from all Southern states, emphasized that releasing Kanu was crucial to ensuring distributive justice and fostering national unity.
“We unanimously call for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. His continued detention has deepened grievances, and this action is necessary to strengthen trust and unity in the federation,” Obiora said.
The group also urged the Federal Government to establish a Special National Ethnic Communities Peace and Development Commission, which would address long-standing grievances from ethnic nationalities across the country.
In addition, the youths demanded a stronger government response to escalating insecurity in Southern Nigeria, warning that the region “has had enough” and would no longer tolerate rising threats to lives and property.
The council noted that their meeting in Onitsha marked the start of a more coordinated approach to advocacy, with a focus on unity among Southern youth regardless of ethnic, political, or religious affiliations.
“The unity of Southern Nigerian youths is paramount. We must speak with one voice to eliminate the consistent marginalization of our leaders and young people from the value equation,” Obiora said.
The group stressed that youths, who make up over 60% of the Southern population and contribute more than 70% of the region’s workforce, must be integrated into the governance structure at all levels.
While pledging support for President Tinubu’s administration, they warned that equity and fairness must guide federal policies to ensure political stability and economic progress.
The council called on all youth-based organizations in the South to collaborate with the Supreme Council in order to “raise a stronger and more unified voice” for the region and its development.
