By Izunna Okafor, Awka
An Igbo businessman and entrepreneur, Chigozie Nnabugwu, has called on the Federal Government to kill the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that executing him would help restore peace and “normalcy” in the South-East.
Nnabugwu made the controversial call during an appearance on News Central TV’s Breakfast Xtra programme over the week, where he spoke on the security situation in the region and the activities of separatist groups.
The Imo state-born businessman argued that insecurity in the South-East had reduced following the arrests and prosecution of who he described as prominent separatist figures, including Mazị Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa. He further maintained that the death of the IPOB Leader, Kanu, would ultimately reduce insecurity and return the region to normalcy.
His words: “The time they arrested Nnamdi Kanu, it was like up and down. The time they arrested Simon Ekpa, it reduced by about 50 per cent. The time Nnamdi Kanu was convicted, it reduced to about 10 per cent. That’s what we are battling now.
“Put it on air: If Nnamdi Kanu is dead today, if the government of Nigeria will kill Nnamdi Kanu, trust me, normalcy will start coming. That’s all every Igbo man prays for.”
Nnabugwu’s remarks have, however, drawn strong reactions from netizens and a good number of , Ndị Igbo, with Kanu’s legal team describing such remarks as reckless, unlawful and capable of inciting violence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, said the legal team strongly condemned Nnabugwu’s comments, which he described as a call for the extrajudicial killing of his client.
Ejimakor argued that calling for the death of Kanu while his legal case remains subject to judicial proceedings amounted to an attempt to undermine the judicial process. He noted that Kanu has appealed his conviction before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The lawyer further contended that the statement could have legal implications under relevant Nigerian laws, including Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2024, relating to electronic communications that threaten life or are capable of causing a breakdown of public order. He also pointed to possible liabilities under other laws where statements are considered to incite violence.
“The call strains the boundaries set under Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the knowing or intentional transmission of messages via electronic means, including those amplified on broadcast platforms and social media, that pose a threat to life or are intended to cause a breakdown of law and order,” he stated.
The legal counsel noted that such offence carries up to N7 million fine or up to three years imprisonment, pointing out that additional criminal liabilities could arise under the Criminal Code for incitement to violence and related offences.
Barr. Ejimakor also criticised News Central TV for giving what he described as a platform to inflammatory comments against Kanu, arguing that broadcasters have a responsibility to consider the potential impact of content capable of threatening public peace or inciting violence.
According to him, “By airing and platforming this inflammatory content without due regard for its potential to incite violence or threaten public peace, News Central TV may face regulatory sanctions for breach of broadcast codes on incitement and public order.”
He said the legal team had issued a demand for Nnabugwu to publicly retract the statement and for News Central TV to tender an unqualified televised apology for airing the comments.
Ejimakor described the statement by Nnabugwu as a pre-action notice, indicating that further legal steps could be taken if the demands for retraction and apology were not met.
The controversial remarks from nnabugwu come amid age-old debate over insecurity, separatist agitation and the prosecution of pro-Biafra activists in the South-East, with Kanu’s case remaining one of the most prominent and contentious issues in the region.
Kanu, who is the leader of IPOB, is currently serving a life sentence following his conviction in November 2025, but has challenged the judgment through an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Nnabugwu’s remarks and the subsequent response from Kanu’s legal team have consequently added another fresh dimension to the protracted debate, Biafran agitation, legal battle, and issues of insecurity in the South-Eastern Nigeria; even as netizens continue to react to the said controversial remarks.
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