Igbo women under the aegis of the Igbo Women Assembly have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate genuine commitment to restoring peace in the South East by releasing the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The women issued the demand during the inauguration of the Abia State chapter of the organization, held in Umuahia, and linked the ongoing insecurity in the region to Kanu’s prolonged detention.
The National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, urged the federal government to heed the overwhelming desire of the people by releasing Kanu unconditionally.
She stated, “We request that you release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. We have done our investigations and found out that IPOB is a non-arms-bearing organization.” Chimezie argued that Kanu’s release would pave the way for peace, stressing that criminals are exploiting his incarceration to perpetuate violence in the region.
The group also expressed concern over the alleged engagement of a former militant to secure the South East, questioning the federal government’s strategy in addressing the region’s security challenges. “Somebody of questionable character came out on national television and said he was contracted to guard South East. Since then, unknown gunmen have been carrying out attacks. What kind of security is a former militant providing in South East?” the IWA President queried.
The women lamented the heavy militarisation of the South East, asserting that it has exacerbated insecurity instead of mitigating it. They decried the numerous checkpoints on South East roads, describing them as “extortion and humiliation points.” According to Chimezie, “Insecurity is getting worse in South East despite the presence of the military. Now their presence is scaring our youths from coming home.”
IWA called for the reintroduction of community vigilante groups, which were disbanded in some states, and advocated regular patrols by security agents instead of permanent checkpoints.
The women issued a 14-day ultimatum to former presidential spokesman and media analyst, Dr Reuben Abati, to retract an alleged anti-Igbo comment or face legal action. The group condemned Abati’s purported claim that “Igbo people do not sell their land to outsiders,” describing the remark as false and genocidal.
IWA warned, “The hate speech by Abati is capable of sparking another genocide against Igbo, and we won’t tolerate that. We want him to withdraw the utterance and publicly apologize to Ndigbo. What he said is false. It’s either he withdraws it or he will hear from us.” The organization called on the National Broadcasting Commission to sanction Abati for his comments.
On the forthcoming election of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, IWA insisted that the position must rotate among the seven Igbo-speaking states. They emphasized that it is the turn of Rivers State to produce the next leader and warned against attempts to impose a candidate from another state. “Ohanaeze should redeem its image. It must not allow someone from Imo to cross over to Rivers under any guise to become PG of Ohanaeze,” IWA said.
During the event, speakers highlighted the importance of preserving Igbo language and cultural heritage. Professor Nkechinyere Ohaike of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages Aba, in her keynote address, urged Igbo mothers to speak their native language to their children to prevent its extinction. “A child loses nothing but gains much in learning communication with his mother tongue,” she said.
Lady Chinedu Brown, a former Abia State Commissioner for Women Affairs, encouraged Igbo women to form cooperative societies for economic empowerment and engage in commercial farming to boost the region’s economy. Other speakers, including Dr Godwin Asumugha, Pastor Nnenne Iroakasi, and Mrs Ijeoma Umunna, stressed the need to promote traditional diets over processed foods linked to rising cases of terminal illnesses.
The event concluded with a renewed call for unity and collective effort to restore peace, economic progress, and cultural pride in Igbo land.
