Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has alleged that the Nigerian government is determined to ensure that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), does not leave detention alive.

In a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Sowore claimed that Kanu remains in custody because “the lies sustaining their power will collapse once Mazi Nnamdi Kanu walks out as a free man.”

He alleged that the authorities “do not want Mazi Nnamdi Kanu freed alive, and they are united in that mission,” adding that “ever since they realised their web of deceit was beginning to unravel, they have gone into overdrive.”

Sowore further accused the government of fearing that Kanu’s release would expose “their fraud, greed, backstabbing, and betrayal of justice,” insisting that “the people’s eyes have opened, and fake political careers built on deceit, destruction, and oppression will not survive the truth.”

Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, following his rearrest on charges of terrorism and treason related to his role in the separatist movement.

Earlier in the week, Sowore led a protest in Abuja demanding Kanu’s immediate release. Several demonstrators, including Kanu’s lawyer and brother, were reportedly arrested and remanded in Kuje Prison.