Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho and a prominent campaigner for the Yoruba self-determination movement in south-western Nigeria, has appealed to detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu to prioritise dialogue with the federal government of Nigeria as he navigates his legal and political troubles.
In a statement issued on Friday, February 13, 2026, and signed by his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Igboho praised Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), for directing an end to the Monday sit-at-home order that has repeatedly shut businesses and public life across Nigeria’s South-East region. Okay News reports that the weekly shutdown has been a major point of tension in the zone, which is home mainly to the Igbo ethnic group.
The statement described the cancellation as an important step towards stability and economic recovery in the South-East. It said, “Chief Sunday Adeyemo wishes to commend the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on his recent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East zone of Nigeria.
“Chief Igboho believes that the move by Mazi Kanu to end the five-year Monday economic siege on the South-East zone is thoughtful.”
Igboho’s message went beyond the sit-at-home directive, urging Kanu to pursue a new approach by seeking formal engagement with President Bola Tinubu’s administration in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The statement said, “Chief Igboho urges the IPOB leader to vigorously explore dialogue and mediation with the Federal Government to break the deadlock in his ordeal”.
It added that, “While it is the fundamental right of Mazi Kanu to pursue self-determination, Chief Igboho believes that the current administration of President Bola Tinubu is predisposed to negotiation and mutual understanding for the peace, shared prosperity, security and the deserved respect that the South-East commands”.
The statement also warned those it accused of benefiting from insecurity and unrest in the South-East, calling on them to stop acts that damage the region and undermine peace. It said, “Chief Igboho also urges all those who make profits from the desecration and despoliation of the South-East through violence to desist from such acts in the interest of peace and economic prosperity of the region and the nation,”
The intervention is being viewed as a notable sign of shared messaging between two high-profile ethnic activists from different parts of Nigeria, as public calls grow for de-escalation and negotiation in disputes linked to separatist agitation and regional security.
The sit-at-home protests were declared by the pro-Biafra group in August 2021, following Kanu’s return to Nigeria and his continued detention. During the action, markets, schools, banks, and offices in parts of the South-East often remained closed, disrupting daily life and local economies.
The report also stated that Kanu was convicted on charges related to terrorism on Thursday, November 20, 2025, and sentenced to life imprisonment, a ruling his family rejected while saying it would appeal. It added that he was transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Centre in north-western Nigeria after the court held that the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja would not be suitable for him.
