The Nigeria First Project Initiative (NFPI) has cautioned Nigerians against supporting or participating in any protest calling for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing such agitation as dangerous and detrimental to the nation’s unity, peace, and sovereignty.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Hamza Umar Saulawa, said the recent calls by #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, and others to stage protests on October 20th across major national landmarks—including the Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, and Eagle Square—were politically motivated and capable of inciting unrest.
According to the NFPI, Kanu’s track record shows that granting him freedom again would embolden him to resume activities that threaten Nigeria’s peace and stability.
“Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in 2015 on terrorism and treason charges. Though he was granted bail in 2017, he jumped bail, fled the country, and continued spreading hate and division through social media and Radio Biafra,” the statement read.
The group accused Kanu of inciting violence that led to the deaths of security personnel and innocent citizens, particularly in the Southeast. It further alleged that his continued operation of the proscribed IPOB organization has crippled socio-economic life in the region through its illegal “sit-at-home” orders.
“If granted bail again, there is every reason to believe that Kanu will jump bail and continue to promote hate, killings, and terrorism. Nigerians who truly wish well for their country must reject any protest demanding his release,” Saulawa warned.
The group also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating magnanimity through the recent Presidential Pardon of 175 Nigerians, describing it as a clear sign that the President holds no grudges and is willing to give second chances to repentant citizens.
NFPI hailed Tinubu’s economic reforms—particularly his efforts to boost foreign reserves, stabilize the naira, and overhaul Nigeria’s outdated tax system—while praising his respect for the rule of law and non-interference in terrorism-related trials.
‘Coup Rumours a Ploy to Destabilize Nigeria’
Addressing the recent rumours of a coup plot, the Nigeria First Project Initiative dismissed them as “a deliberate ploy by retrogressive elements” seeking to destabilize the country and undermine its democratic gains.
“Nigeria’s democracy is hale and hearty. For 26 uninterrupted years, our democratic system has thrived. Only anarchists and apologists of dictatorship would wish to see it reversed,” declared Comrade Bishir Dauda Sabuwar Unguwa, the group’s Director of Research and Documentation.
He added that democracy in Nigeria “has come to stay,” and warned those behind the coup speculations to desist from actions capable of undermining public confidence in the government and security institutions.
The group reaffirmed its “unflinching support” for President Tinubu’s administration and urged citizens to remain vigilant against misinformation and divisive propaganda aimed at destabilizing the nation.
“We must put Nigeria first — above personal ambition, ethnicity, or political manipulation,” Saulawa concluded.
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