The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that the continued detention of the separatist leader while treating others differently raises questions about fairness.
Key Highlights:
- Elijah Ayodele urged President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu.
- He said Kanu and Ahmad Gumi should be treated by the same standard.
- Ayodele warned that perceived double standards could undermine public trust.
- He predicted growing dissatisfaction could lead to protests against the government.
- The federal government maintains that Kanu’s case remains before the courts.
Ayodele made the call while addressing members of his congregation in a video that surfaced online on Saturday.
Speaking on Kanu’s prolonged detention, the cleric said the federal government should either release the IPOB leader or apply the same standard to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
“Try and release Nnamdi Kanu,” Ayodele said in the video.
He maintained that if the government chooses to keep Kanu in detention, it should also take similar action against Gumi, stressing that selective treatment of individuals could undermine public confidence in the government’s sincerity and commitment to justice.
According to him, treating the two figures differently could create the impression of double standards.
Ayodele also warned that growing public dissatisfaction could trigger widespread protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration if pressing national concerns remain unresolved.
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“Protest will seize this Tinubu government,” he said.
The cleric’s comments come amid renewed debates over Kanu’s detention and ongoing calls from various groups and individuals for his release.
Kanu has remained at the centre of legal and political controversies since his arrest and extradition to Nigeria, with supporters insisting that his continued detention fuels tensions in the South-East region.
The federal government has repeatedly maintained that Kanu’s case remains before the courts and would be handled in accordance with the law.
