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• Ooni, Eze Aro debunk claim of disunity in Southern Traditional Rulers Council
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
A South-East traditional ruler on Tuesday demanded that President Bola Tinubu either unconditionally release Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu or deport him to Kenya, warning that his continued detention in Sokoto Correctional Centre is fuelling youth unrest across the region.
Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, Dr Lawrence Agubuzu, made the dramatic intervention during his goodwill message at the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. Themed “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” the summit sought to galvanise community leaders toward health reforms, ending with a compact signing to enhance healthcare delivery nationwide.
Agubuzu used the platform to spotlight Kanu’s plight, expressing personal anguish and accusing fellow monarchs of double standards. “We have come to Abuja today, and we’ve seen the crowd… But I must tell you, Mr President, that personally, I don’t feel very happy because you were not here in the morning. There were several speeches, and we listened carefully. I listened to the opening address by His Imperial Majesty [Ooni of Ife], and he was gingering all of us to work as a family, to work as a team, and to see Nigeria as one. This is good,” he began, before pivoting sharply.
He then charged the Ooni with hypocrisy over plans to honour Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho, whom South-East indigenes view as Kanu’s counterpart. “But when you look at it, this same Imperial Majesty is arranging to confer a very high honour on Sunday Igboho—who, in my own part of Nigeria and the Southeast, we see as a counterpart of Nnamdi Kanu. Oh, my brother, fellow royal father, the Imperial Majesty does not seem to understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto. So sad—the ball stops in your court. Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London, where they took him from,” Agubuzu insisted.
Agubuzu painted a grim picture of South-East youth volatility, warning traditional rulers of personal peril. “You see, some of us here are being asked to go and work, but the young people in the Southeast are so agitated they can even beat us. They see us as sellouts. We come to Abuja—they may think we’ve come to collect money and then keep quiet. So sad. Please do something about this. We cannot make progress in this country if we don’t tell ourselves the truth. There’s no way,” he lamented.
He also dismissed the notion of a unified Southern Traditional Rulers Council, urging direct engagement with regional bodies. “The truth of the matter is that there is nothing like a Southern Traditional Rulers Council… The South is not the North. We have our system. We need unity in diversity. So, if you want to deal with us, deal with us in the Southeast. If you have resources for us, give it to us. Don’t give it to people who come and say they represent a traditional rulers council,” he advised.
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Background on Kanu’s case
Kanu, 58, the British-Nigerian founder of IPOB—proscribed as a terrorist organisation—faces life imprisonment following Justice James Omotosho’s 20 November 2025 conviction on seven terrorism counts. His legal odyssey includes a 2015 treason arrest, 2017 bail jump, controversial 2021 rendition from Kenya, a Court of Appeal discharge order, and a Supreme Court reversal, leaving him without private counsel amid ongoing appeals.
In response, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, defended unity in the council, dismissing the division claim by Agubuzu and emphasising the summit’s historic unity while sidestepping the Igboho–Kanu comparison. “We have never experienced such a summit to bring faith leaders and traditional leaders from all walks of Nigeria together to address the health issues of our country… It’s never been done before in Nigeria—it’s a very vast summit—and the takeaway is the need to partner with political leaders and institutions to get the best for our citizenry,” he stated.
The Ooni underscored Southern traditional rulers’ cohesion, rebutting Agubuzu’s claims. “For us, we the Southern Traditional Rulers, have come together to continue to support the belief… The Southern Traditional Rulers Council is very optional. You don’t need to join us if you don’t want to, but it is a force—a formidable force—among traditional institutions… We don’t want any impression that there’s division. We don’t want to take out the Southeast. We have Eze here—he is one of our very prominent traditional rulers in the Southeast,” he affirmed, urging focus on substantive issues over rumours.
Dr Eberechukwu Kanu Oji Eberechukwu (Eze Aro IX) of Arochukwu Kingdom, Abia State, and Publicity Secretary of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council, robustly defended the body’s existence and activities. “The Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council is a movement—a journey—comprising members from across the entire southern part of Nigeria. He [Ooni] is our chairman. We have the co-chair here from the Southeast… The President was part of the inauguration of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council. It happened in Oyo, and we had representatives from both the press, the government, and stakeholders at that inauguration.”
Eze Aro highlighted ongoing momentum: “Since that inauguration, the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council has been active. We have had our AGM, which took place in Ogun State. We have undertaken several activities together… The Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council exists. The Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council is united, with traditional rulers and royal fathers from across the entire southern Nigeria—all represented here.” He congratulated Tinubu on the summit, calling it “the first of its kind” poised for growth.
The Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council operates under a clear leadership hierarchy, with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, serving as its permanent chairman, anchoring a structure designed to foster unity across Nigeria’s 17 southern states.
Co-chairmen are Obi Cletus Ilomuanya, Obi of Obinugwu Kingdom in Orlu, Imo State, representing the South-East, and King Dandeson Jaja, Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom in Rivers State, covering the South-South.
Inaugurated by President Tinubu on 30 July 2024 in Owerri, the council embodies the motto “Togetherness, Strength and Progress,” drawing royal fathers from the South-East, South-South and South-West to promote cultural synergy, peace and development.
