The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission (CIMC), led by its President, Rev. Tony Uzor, has expressed deep concern and disappointment over what it described as the continued silence and inaction of most South-East governors regarding the prolonged detention of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a strongly worded statement, the commission recalled that following the conviction judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako Omotosho, Igbo governors publicly promised to urgently engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek a political and humane resolution to Kanu’s case. According to the group, only Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has fulfilled that promise so far.
“The rest have failed our people,” the statement said, adding that the situation could no longer be excused as a matter of delay or logistics. The group accused several Igbo political leaders of insincerity, describing their repeated assurances as “empty words.”
Rev. Uzor alleged that the continued silence of many Igbo governors is driven by fear and political jealousy, claiming that some politicians are uncomfortable with Kanu’s popularity and the level of support he enjoys among ordinary Igbo people.
“They fear his courage. They fear the love our people have for him,” the statement read. The commission further alleged that some political leaders believe Kanu’s release would expose years of “betrayal, silence, and cooperation with those oppressing the Igbo people.”
The CIMC insisted that Kanu is innocent and maintained that he has consistently acted in the interest of the South-East. It defended the formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), stating that it was created to protect communities at a time when governments allegedly failed to do so.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the Monday sit-at-home protests, the commission rejected claims that Kanu ordered the action. According to the group, the sit-at-home emerged from public frustration rather than any directive from Kanu, who it said repeatedly tried to stop it.
The statement cited a 2022 visit by Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo to Kanu at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility, during which Kanu allegedly pleaded to be allowed to address the public and call off sit-at-home actions and unrest. The group claimed the DSS declined the request, a decision it said allowed criminal elements to exploit the situation.
The commission also pointed out that Kanu had, on several occasions in open court, called for an end to sit-at-home and violence, including issuing a handwritten note warning that anyone enforcing such actions was not acting on his behalf.
Questioning allegations linking Kanu to insecurity in the South-East, the group asked how a person in DSS custody could be coordinating violence across the region, describing such claims as false.
The CIMC further accused the South-East Governors’ Forum of repeatedly promising but failing to meet the President on the matter. It warned that history, God, and the Igbo people are watching the actions and inactions of political leaders.
In its demands, the commission called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and bring what it described as an injustice to an end. It urged Igbo governors to either act decisively or stop “pretending to care,” and appealed to Nigerians to reject misinformation and stand for truth.
“You can jail a man, but you cannot jail the truth. You can delay justice, but you cannot erase history,” the statement concluded, stressing that Kanu’s case goes beyond one individual and touches on justice, dignity, and the future of the Igbo people.
The statement was signed by Rev. Tony Uzor, President of the Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission (CIMC).
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