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A prominent South East traditional ruler, His Royal Majesty Eze-Igwe Williams Ezugwu, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to end the prolonged trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The monarch also petitioned major national institutions over what he described as hate speech and genocidal incitement by Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church against Igbo people.

In a statement personally signed on Tuesday, the Eze Ogbozarra III of Opi Ancient Kingdom and Igwe of Ibagwa Opi, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, said the continued detention and seemingly unending trial of Nnamdi Kanu had become a source of deep pain, injustice, and regional tension. According to him, the matter has hindered ongoing efforts at reconciliation, peacebuilding, and the restoration of stability in the South East.

Eze-Igwe Ezugwu called on President Tinubu to deploy the constitutional powers of the Attorney General to discontinue the trial in the interest of national healing and justice. He noted that peace could not return fully to the South East until the issue was addressed with fairness and statesmanship.

He stressed that many young people in the region consider the extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya in 2021 and the prolonged litigation as emblematic of long-standing bias against the Igbo. Ending the trial through a nolle prosequi, he said, would not be an act of weakness but a demonstration of courage and nation-building, capable of reducing agitations and strengthening national unity.

The royal father added that the prolonged detention continues to fuel resentment, deepen misunderstandings, and weaken trust between the Federal Government and the South East. He appealed to the President to align with peace advocates who believe that resolving the issue would usher in long-awaited regional and national stability.

Alongside his appeal on the Kanu matter, Eze-Igwe Ezugwu raised alarm over what he described as ethnically targeted hate speech by Primate Elijah Ayodele. He called for intervention by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Nigeria Police Force, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and relevant human rights and interfaith institutions.

The monarch expressed deep concern over the cleric’s recent sermon, which, according to him, contained divisive and inflammatory statements capable of provoking ethnic hostility and threatening public peace. He accused Ayodele of making highly derogatory claims, such as labelling the Igbo as “the problem of Nigeria” and asserting that even “ten trillion” of them would not be fit to lead the country.

Eze-Igwe Ezugwu condemned these remarks as offensive, dangerous, and reminiscent of rhetoric that has historically preceded mass violence, citing parallels with the Rwandan genocide and Nigeria’s civil war. He insisted that such utterances go far beyond carelessness and amount to incendiary ethnic demonisation.

In his petition, the monarch outlined extensive legal grounds for disciplinary and prosecutorial action. He cited constitutional provisions that prohibit the misuse of religious platforms to incite hatred, including Sections 38, 39(3), and 45 of the Constitution. He referenced sections of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Cybercrimes Act, and Nigeria Broadcasting Code that criminalise speech or conduct capable of causing public disorder, enmity between communities, or the transmission of offensive content that could provoke hatred.

He also drew attention to regulatory responsibilities under Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and ethical codes guiding religious organisations under CAN and PFN, which mandate clergy to promote unity, peace, and responsible use of the pulpit.

The monarch warned that the danger posed by hate speech from influential religious figures cannot be overstated, as such rhetoric can ignite violence, deepen ethnic tensions, and destabilise national peace if not addressed swiftly. Failure to act against Primate Ayodele’s utterances, he cautioned, could inspire violence, provoke reprisal sentiments, and erode fragile national cohesion.

Eze-Igwe Ezugwu called for a full investigation of the cleric’s conduct, doctrinal and ethical review by CAN and PFN disciplinary bodies, and the imposition of appropriate sanctions if he is found culpable. He also recommended close monitoring of Ayodele’s future public communications and urged broadcast regulators to ensure that media outlets do not air content that promotes ethnic hatred.

He emphasised that safeguarding public peace requires firm action and reaffirmed that hate speech against any ethnic group amounts to hate speech against the Nigerian nation itself. The pulpit, he insisted, must never be weaponised to sow division.

The traditional ruler concluded by reiterating his commitment to peacebuilding, inter-ethnic harmony, and the protection of all Nigerians from inflammatory rhetoric. He urged all relevant authorities to give urgent and serious attention to his petition.

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