Support is swelling for the planned October 20, 2025, peaceful march to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, initiated by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore to demand the unconditional release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The Ndigbo World Union (NWU) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have both thrown their weight behind the initiative, describing it as a legitimate and nonviolent campaign for justice. They called on Nigerians – especially Igbo groups and students across the country – to turn out en masse for the march.
In a statement jointly signed by NWU Chairman, Hon. Benjamin Nwankwo, and Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzor, the group urged Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora to identify with what it called a “moral pilgrimage of conscience.”
“Kanu remains the pre-eminent freedom fighter of Africa, a man illegally renditioned and unjustly detained in violation of both Nigerian law and international conventions,”
the statement read.
The group argued that Kanu’s continued incarceration “is a stain on the conscience of any nation that claims to practice democracy and justice,” insisting that the planned march is “not a protest of violence but a moral call for Nigeria to return to justice, humanity, and the rule of law.”
NWU commended Omoyele Sowore, Hon. Obi Aguocha, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and other prominent Nigerians backing the movement, and urged Igbo political leaders – particularly members of the Abia State House of Assembly – to publicly support it.
“Let every Igbo union, student body, market association, church, town union, and diaspora chapter mobilize peacefully and massively. Let our presence be a testimony that we have not abandoned our own,” the statement urged.
The group, however, warned participants to remain peaceful and disciplined, cautioning against infiltration by troublemakers.
“We must uphold peaceful comportment throughout this campaign. Let our chants be songs of peace; let our banners proclaim justice; let our feet march with dignity,” the NWU advised.
The group also called on international bodies including the United Nations, the African Union, and the ECOWAS Court to take note of what it described as a “human rights crisis” surrounding Kanu’s continued detention.
Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) announced its full participation in the planned march, describing it as part of the broader student struggle for justice and democratic accountability.
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Atiku Isah, NANS said the resolution was reached at its national executive meeting, where student leaders agreed to coordinate a massive mobilization across all six geopolitical zones.
“Students from the South West Zone will converge in Ekiti, the South East in Enugu, the South South in Edo, the North East in Bauchi, the North West in Kano, and the North Central in Lokoja before departing for Abuja on October 19,” the statement said.
Each zone, according to NANS, will be assigned ten buses to transport participants to Abuja, with detailed logistics to be communicated to Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents across the country.
“This mobilization is part of our collective demand for justice, civil rights, and democratic accountability. As students, we affirm that freedom is achieved through struggle, and we remain committed to peaceful advocacy for what is right,” the students’ body stated.