Did The Imo State Governor Warn The President Against Releasing Nnamdi Kanu?
On March 16, 2025, a Facebook user @Comfortikechukwu put up a post claiming that the governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma has issued a warning to the president to not release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The post reads: “Just in: Imo state governor warns Tinubu against releasing Nnamdi Kanu. The governor of Imo state has issued a strong warning to President Bola Tinubu, insisting that Nnamdi Kanu must not be released under any circumstances. According to the governor, Kanu poses a serious threat to Nigeria and his administration, and keeping him in detention is essential for maintaining security in the Southeast region.
““Kanu’s release will destabilise the Southeast and threaten national security. His continued detention is necessary to prevent further unrest and ensure peace in the region,” the governor reportedly stated. This statement comes amid growing pressure from international bodies and political figures, including a key ally of former U.S president Donald Trump, who recently called for Kanu’s release and warned of possible sanctions against Nigeria if he remains in custody.”
The post included a link to a website, DailyExcessive, where various types of news and conversations are published.
VERIFICATION
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has received constant news mention since 2015. There have been controversies surrounding his social media activities and his advocacy for the independence of Biafra. He was initially arrested in 2015 on charges of treason, terrorism and inciting violence. Kanu was granted bail in 2017 but later fled the country after claims of attack from the Nigerian military. In 2021, he was re-arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria.
To verify the claim, NV-A conducted keywords search and found several related articles on the issue The related article confirmed that the claim dates back to 2023 and has been described as false allegations designed to hurt the governor’s reputation by the state government and the presidency. There have been no further developments relating to Uzodinma’s stance on the release of Nnamdi Kanu since then.
There were also no reliable reports or even social media posts to back the claim that an ally of United States President, Donald Trump, had called for Kanu’s release.
CONCLUSION
The claims that the Imo state governor issued a warning to President Tinubu on the release of Nnamdi Kanu and an ally of Donald Trump called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu are FALSE. The claim that the Imo State governor issued a warning to the president regarding the IPOB leader has been debunked previously. Similarly, there is no evidence of President Donald Trump’s ally calling for the separatist leader’s release.
