Picture: Maxi Nnamdi Kanu
The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Vanguard reports that the appeal was made on Wednesday during the 2026 Synod of the CBCN in Abuja, where Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, attended as a special guest.
Speaking on behalf of the South-East, Archbishop Robert Imoh declared support for the Tinubu administration before making an emotional appeal to Akume to intervene in Kanu’s continued detention.
“With all my heart, I want to say that this great government of Nigeria, under President Tinubu, is doing marvellously well. And I want to humbly request, sir, this is from the South-East, with my knees on the ground, that you beg our dear President that Nnamdi Kanu be released,” Imoh said.
The appeal came as representatives of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones rallied behind the President-General of the CBCN, Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, and mandated him to speak on their behalf on national issues.
Representatives from the South-East, South-South, South-West, North-East, North-West and North-Central, as well as the National Women Overseer, expressed their support for Kawas.
“Now that the House has mandated me to speak, I will now speak,” Kawas declared.
The CBCN leader, who said the organisation had more than 950 consecrated and installed canonical bishops across Nigeria and maintained a presence in 51 countries, also expressed support for the Tinubu administration.
Don’t Turn Security Crisis Into Religious War
Earlier, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, responsible citizenship and national unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Idris said Nigerians had the constitutional right to support any political party or candidate of their choice, regardless of religious affiliation, adding that religious leaders were equally entitled to hold political opinions.
He, however, warned against allowing political competition to assume religious or ethnic dimensions.
The minister stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be portrayed as a religious war, noting that terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines.
According to him, the Tinubu administration had strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations, logistics and international security partnerships.
He said about 1,000 terrorists, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the North-East during the first quarter of 2026, while 308 abducted Nigerians were rescued in Niger and Kwara states in August through a coordinated operation involving the Armed Forces, Department of State
Services and Nigeria Police Force
Idris urged religious leaders to support security agencies by promoting social cohesion and discouraging young people from radicalisation and criminality.
2027 Elections
On the 2027 elections, Idris urged religious leaders to encourage Nigerians to assess candidates based on their records and programmes, vote according to their conscience and accept legitimate electoral outcomes.
He warned that no election should be allowed to pit Christians against Muslims, the North against the South or one ethnic group against another.
Idris reaffirmed the government’s commitment to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, stressing that Nigerians of different faiths must be allowed to practise their beliefs freely.
He also urged churches to deepen their contributions to education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, vocational training and youth development.
The minister cautioned Nigerians against using smartphones and other digital devices to spread misinformation, urging them to verify information before sharing it.
He said religious leaders had a particularly important role to play because millions of Nigerians looked to pastors, bishops and other faith leaders for guidance beyond religious matters.
Idris further urged Nigerians to support efforts to preserve national unity, stressing that citizens did not necessarily have to like the government or its leaders but had a responsibility to protect the unity of the country.
He said elections were only temporary events in the life of a nation and should not be allowed to destroy the larger Nigerian project.
Tags: Nnamdi Kanu, Tinubu, Charismatic Bishops, South-East, 2027 Elections
