A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Obidient supporter, Dickson Iroegbu, has condemned the Nigerian government’s continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, saying it reflects a country still afraid of justice, equity and fairness.
Speaking on ARISE News on Monday following the Free Nnamdi Kanu protest in Abuja, Iroegbu said he was deeply moved by the solidarity shown by Nigerians from different regions, especially activist Omoyele Sowore, who led the march despite police crackdowns.
“Please permit me first of all to commend my brother here, Sowore,” Iroegbu said. “I was born seven years after the civil war, and for the first time in my adult life, I felt loved as an Igbo man by other Nigerians. Another Nigerian took it upon himself to say, enough of this balkanisation of our fatherland.”
He described Sowore’s participation as a “rare act of brotherhood,” saying Nigerians must stand together in defence of justice and human dignity regardless of ethnic background.
“It is earned by merit,” Iroegbu continued. “I’m talking about someone sacrificing his own liberty to say there’s a brother in there — because an injury to one should be an injury to all. If we are to build our country, then indeed we must have that understanding that together we should not leave some people out of this whole process.”
Condemning the violent response of security agencies, Iroegbu recounted how peaceful protesters were tear-gassed and shot at multiple locations across Abuja.
“It was a peaceful protest, clearly declared as such by the convener,” he said. “But go around Abuja — if this was how the Nigerian Police tackled insecurity, we wouldn’t be here discussing insecurity today. Nobody could move. We just assembled and before you knew it, they started — not just tear gas, live bullets were released.”
He said protesters were chased from one district to another — from Berger Roundabout to Utako and Apo — adding that the government’s reaction betrayed a fear of peaceful civic engagement.
“You now wonder what the Nigerian government really wants from its people,” Iroegbu asked. “Is it for us to be violent? Because we decided to be peaceful, they attacked us. It’s unfortunate that this is the country we have found ourselves in, but it cannot continue this way.”
On the question of whether Kanu’s release would end calls for secession, Iroegbu said freeing him would help separate genuine agitation from criminality.
“If Nnamdi Kanu is released today, what it will bring is a separation from the call for secession away from the criminals who have wrecked the Southeast,” he explained. “What we want is to redeem the most peaceful part of Nigeria, which the Southeast used to be.”
He argued that the agitation for Biafra had evolved from a political movement into a symbolic cry for justice rooted in Nigeria’s unresolved historical trauma.
“Biafra is no longer just about secession,” he said. “It’s now more like a religion. Three and a half million Nigerians were slaughtered in that war. There’s no household in Igboland today without someone lost. It’s difficult to forget Biafra.”
“What will end calls for secession is not force,” he added, “but a Nigeria that allows equity for all, justice for all, fairness for all. I believe in Nigeria, but not this kind of Nigeria. I want a Nigeria where everybody can go to court, ask for justice and get it — not the one where justice is for the highest bidder.”
He accused the political class of being “plutocrats afraid of the people,” saying the government’s fear of peaceful assembly reveals its distance from citizens’ struggles.
“Today we saw how scared the elites are,” Iroegbu said. “They don’t want us to come together to demand our common good. Releasing Nnamdi Kanu will allow the real criminals to be treated as criminals, not freedom fighters, and it will restore faith in justice.”
He called on President Bola Tinubu to listen to the growing calls for Kanu’s release, saying continued defiance of court orders undermines the rule of law.
“I don’t think the Commander-in-Chief really understands what he’s commanding,” he warned. “He should not continue to give deaf ears to the call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. He should be released as immediately as possible.”
Iroegbu said Monday’s protest sent a clear message to those in power.
“The statement was loud and very resounding,” he said. “Those living behind high fences in the Villa heard very loudly that the people are demanding for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They should respond to that call.”
Boluwatife Enome
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