ABUJA – Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has exposed a failed attempt by the Nigerian government to negotiate the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in exchange for his abandonment of the separatist struggle.
Speaking on the details of the secret overtures, Sowore disclosed that the government approached him to serve as an intermediary to persuade Kanu to drop his agitation and transition into mainstream politics. According to Sowore, the government sought to end the Biafran movement through a political compromise that would have seen Kanu regain his freedom.
However, the IPOB leader reportedly remained resolute, categorically rejecting the offer and any associated financial inducements. Sowore stated that Kanu maintained his stance that Nigeria is fundamentally incapable of accommodating the Biafran vision, reiterating his uncompromising mantra of “Biafra or death.”
“The government sent me to persuade him to drop the struggle and move into mainstream politics, but Kanu was firm,” Sowore revealed, adding that the IPOB leader insisted on a referendum as the only path forward.
Sowore further alleged that certain political interests within the Southeast are complicit in Kanu’s continued incarceration, fearing that his release would diminish their own political relevance in the region. He described Kanu’s ongoing imprisonment as a “monumental injustice” and a “political trial” rather than a judicial one.
The revelation comes as Kanu continues to serve his sentence following his November 2025 conviction on terrorism-related charges. While the Federal Government has not officially responded to Sowore’s claims of a botched “freedom deal,” the disclosure has reignited calls for a political solution to the unrest in the Southeast.
