Ndi Igbo in Germany and Nigerians in the diaspora have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to show compassion by granting a presidential pardon to the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The appeal was made in a communiqué on Friday jointly signed by Benjamin Chinaka, National Coordinator, and Chinasa Ezeji, Secretary General.
The plea followed an emergency meeting of the association held on November 21, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany, where members expressed deep concern over the reported life sentence handed down to Kanu by a Nigerian court.
The group warned that the judgment could deepen ethnic tensions and worsen the nation’s fragile political climate.
“Nigeria is currently grappling with serious security and socio-political challenges. At such a delicate time, this judgment may further widen divisions among ethnic groups and undermine democratic cohesion,” the statement read.
“We respectfully appeal to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to exercise his constitutional prerogative of mercy and grant a presidential pardon to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
NIG noted that many of Kanu’s long-standing grievances reflect the frustrations of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in the South-East, who feel economically disadvantaged, politically marginalized, and insecure within the current national structure.
The group urged President Tinubu to “take a magnanimous decision in the interest of national unity, peace, and stability,” adding that releasing Kanu could be a pivotal step toward rebuilding trust in the Nigerian project.
The appeal comes amid growing domestic and international calls for a reconciliatory approach in addressing separatist agitations and regional discontent in South-East Nigeria.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, had convicted Kanu and sentenced him to life imprisonment for terrorism-related offenses, after which he was transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
