The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has strongly criticized the planned nationwide demonstrations demanding the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing the agitation as a dangerous form of blackmail targeted at the Nigerian state.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, said the campaign, reportedly being pushed by certain Igbo political and cultural figures, activist Omoyele Sowore, and a few “unpatriotic northern collaborators” , represents a deliberate attempt to intimidate the judiciary and destabilize national peace.
Charanchi accused some politicians and activists of “hypocrisy and ethnic bias,” alleging that their current outcry for Kanu’s release is a political strategy designed to influence the 2027 elections.
The coalition recalled that since 2016, Kanu has been accused of deploying IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), to incite violence, hatred, and division — actions which it said have led to killings, destruction of public property, and attacks on security operatives and Northerners in the Southeast. The group also noted that in 2017, it issued the historic Kaduna Declaration to alert both Nigeria and the international community about what it called IPOB’s growing violent separatism.
According to Charanchi, recent developments have validated CNG’s earlier warnings, saying that “unchecked extremism only grows into full-blown terrorism.”
The group further revealed that it had submitted petitions to international organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), outlining IPOB’s alleged human rights abuses and calls for ethnic cleansing.
He warned that protests or media campaigns would not erase IPOB’s alleged crimes or pressure the government into disregarding due process.
Charanchi stated: “The Coalition of Northern Groups reaffirms that no nation can survive when treason is rewarded and justice is politicized. Releasing Nnamdi Kanu under mob pressure would not heal Nigeria; it would embolden lawlessness and erode public confidence in justice.
“The CNG stands firm in defense of the rule of law, national unity, and the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for peace. The group calls on President Tinubu, political leaders, and Nigerians at large to choose justice over sentiment, and national interest over sectional appeasement. Nigeria must not bow to emotional blackmail. The law must take its course, for without justice, there can be no peace.”
CNG emphasized that over 400 security personnel have been killed in IPOB-related attacks, leaving behind widows, orphans, and grieving families, and insisted that justice for these victims must not be compromised.
The coalition outlined a series of demands, urging government and citizens alike to uphold justice and resist intimidation.
Charanchi added, “CNG condemns unequivocally the planned protests for Kanu’s release, describing them as reckless, provocative, and a direct affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and judiciary.
“Urges the Federal Government to see Kanu’s trial to its logical conclusion, ensuring that justice is neither delayed nor diluted under political pressure. Calls on security agencies to remain alert and proactive in preventing any breakdown of law and order during these orchestrated protests.
“Demands an immediate investigation into individuals and organizations funding, coordinating, or promoting these destabilizing protests under the guise of human rights advocacy.
“Warring with the sacred principles of separation of powers and judicial independence President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reclaim his statesmanship by resisting every attempt to cajole or blackmail the Presidency into interfering.
“Appeals to patriotic Nigerians, especially peace-loving citizens of the Southeast, to reject calls to anarchy, embrace dialogue, and support genuine efforts toward development, peace, and unity.”
