A compassion plea for Kanu rises as diaspora groups urge President Tinubu to grant a pardon

According to a communiqué issued on Friday, diaspora leaders have raised an urgent compassion plea for Kanu, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the convicted IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Also read: Court of Appeal upholds Kanus conviction, dismisses appeal

The appeal followed an emergency meeting of Ndi Igbo in Germany on 21 November 2025 in Frankfurt, where members voiced serious concern over the reported life sentence delivered by a Nigerian court.

The statement, jointly signed by National Coordinator Benjamin Chinaka and Secretary General Chinasa Ezeji, warned that the ruling risks worsening ethnic tensions at a time Nigeria is confronting significant security and socio-political strain.

They noted that the judgment could unsettle the already fragile political climate by widening existing divisions and undermining democratic cohesion.

In the communiqué, representatives stressed that long standing grievances raised by Kanu reflect the frustrations of many ordinary Nigerians, particularly in the South East, who feel economically sidelined, politically marginalised and insecure within the current national framework.

The group said the Compassion Plea for Kanu is grounded in a desire for stability and a renewed sense of national belonging.

Ndi Igbo in Germany urged President Tinubu to make what they described as a magnanimous and potentially powerful decision by exercising his constitutional prerogative of mercy.

They argued that such a move could serve as a vital step towards rebuilding trust and revitalising confidence in the Nigerian project.

The appeal emerged amid growing domestic and international calls for a reconciliatory approach to separatist agitation and rising regional discontent in the South East.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had recently convicted Kanu on terrorism related charges and ordered his transfer to the Sokoto Correctional Facility.

Also read: Lawyer confirms transfer of Nnamdi Kanu from Abuja to Sokoto prison

Diaspora leaders asserted that addressing the Compassion Plea for Kanu with care may ease political tensions and support a more hopeful national outlook at a delicate moment.