Framing Nnamdi Kanu’s secessionist agitation as a symptom of lingering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the Nigerian Civil War, the Oluwo of Iwoland, HIM Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant the detained IPOB leader an official presidential pardon.
​The traditional ruler’s appeal was conveyed on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, through a public declaration signed by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, at the Oluwo’s Palace in Iwo, Osun State.
​Oba Akanbi argued that the persistent tensions in the South-East cannot be resolved through punitive legal measures alone. Instead, he framed Kanu’s release as an act of historical empathy toward the Igbo nation, citing decades of unaddressed trauma following the 1967–1970 conflict.
The monarch warned that unmanaged PTSD among war victims acts like an unexploded bomb, suggesting Kanu’s erratic temperament may stem from generational trauma passed down since the civil war.
While acknowledging Kanu’s excesses that led to his prosecution, the Oluwo argued that releasing him with proper counseling and guidance would transform him into a voice for peace.
Oba Akanbi called on the Federal Government to institute a dedicated panel focused on South-East reconciliation, asserting that “healing the Igbos is healing Nigeria”.
Commending President Tinubu’s detribalised governance, the Yoruba traditional leader maintained that granting clemency would unify the country and permanently bridge ethnic divides.
​Ibraheem clarified that the monarch’s intervention is purely a diplomatic effort to unite the country rather than an endorsement of violent agitations or public protests.
​Neither the Federal Ministry of Justice nor the Presidency has commented on the monarch’s request.
