I’ll Help Secure Nnamdi Kanu’s Release If Biafra Radio, Sit-At-Home Stop — Satguru Maharaj Ji

The founder of the One Love Family,
Satguru Maharaj Ji, has vowed to help facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu—the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—but only if Biafra Radio is shut down and the sit-at-home directives are discontinued.

He made the remarks during an interview on his temple’s in-house radio on Wednesday.

According to him, Kanu was guilty of the terrorism charges filed against him and would ordinarily have faced the death penalty under Nigerian law.

“We are grateful that the matter has been put on hold because, based on the accusations and the constitution, the punishment for such offences is death,” he said. “It is only by grace that Kanu escaped that fate.

“So, his release now has to come through political settlement. Anyone seeking his pardon must take concrete steps—first, Biafra Radio must be shut down wherever it is; second, the sit-at-home order must end. The judgment should be accepted, while Igbo elders meet behind the scenes to explain things to the President.”

Maharaj Ji added that the political landscape had shifted, saying the Igbo have been brought “to the centre of politics” under President Bola Tinubu, a development he claimed has unsettled some interests in the North.

“They should also stop the propaganda that the East is about to be Islamised. Once these things are done, I know the process to follow—Kanu will come out. I will help facilitate his release,” he assured.

His comments align with renewed efforts by several South-East leaders, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and activist Omoyele Sowore, who have been pushing for Kanu’s release through political negotiation.

On Tuesday, Governor Otti met President Tinubu at the State House after visiting Kanu at the Sokoto prison facility where he is serving his sentence. The meeting is believed to be part of ongoing engagements aimed at securing the IPOB leader’s release.

Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment after Justice James Omotosho convicted him on counts one, two, four, five, and six of terrorism charges. He also received a 20-year sentence on count three and a five-year sentence on count seven—both without the option of a fine.