Sowore Confirms Contact With Abia Assembly, Says Lawmakers To Set Date For Aso Rock Protest Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has confirmed that the Abia State House of Assembly is set to decide on a date for a mass protest at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In a post on his verified social media accounts on Wednesday, Sowore said he had spoken with the Deputy Speaker of the Abia Assembly, who informed him that lawmakers were entering a plenary session to choose a date for the protest. “I have contacted the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State Assembly, and he informed me that they are entering a plenary session to choose a date for the protest at the Aso Rock Villa per #FreeNnamdiKanuNOW,” Sowore wrote. “We will go with their date!” he added.

The move follows Sowore’s recent challenge to South-East political leaders—including governors, senators, and other public figures—to join him in a peaceful march to the Presidential Villa to press for Kanu’s immediate release. He vowed to put aside political differences for what he described as “one cause,” urging key figures such as Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi to “step up and join in person.”

“Every governor, senator, member of the House, traditional ruler, priest, eze, Igbo person, and every Nigerian who believes in Kanu’s freedom, come out and do more than talk,” Sowore declared. “I will lead this peaceful march to the Aso Rock Villa.”

Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, quickly endorsed the initiative, announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that he would join the protest. “Dear Sowore, I hereby step forward to march with you to Aso Rock to peacefully & visibly demand justice for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Who is with me? Ndigbo ahoy!” Ejimakor wrote.

Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 following his controversial arrest and extradition from Kenya. Despite an October 2022 ruling by the Court of Appeal discharging and acquitting him of all charges, the Federal Government’s appeal to the Supreme Court secured a stay of execution, allowing his detention to continue.

Recent reports from Hon. Obi Agwuocha, a member of the House of Representatives from Abia, have raised alarm over Kanu’s deteriorating health while in DSS custody. Agwuocha had confronted Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on the floor of the House, warning that “only a man who is alive can stand trial,” and accusing the Federal Government of ignoring repeated appeals for urgent medical attention.

Public pressure has since intensified, with Sowore’s campaign and the Abia Assembly’s latest move signaling renewed momentum in the call for Kanu’s release.