During Saturday’s service of songs and tributes to the late Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, several Igbo extraction speakers emphasised the urgent need for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, or IPOB, to be released from the DSS facility immediately.

They implored President Bola Tinubu to grant Iwuanyanwu his final desire by freeing Kanu and immortalising the late Ohanaeze PG, lamenting that this was Iwuanyanwu’s final duty before he died away.

They emphasised that Iwuanyanwu, the late Igbo leader, was a complete Nigeria by all measures of nationalism, patriotism, and statesmanship, and they urged the federal government to honour him.

The release of Kanu and the preservation of Iwuanyanwu as a detribalised Nigerian were also emphasised by Umuada Igbo Nigeria and in Diaspora, the umbrella organisation of Igbo women.

“May God bless President Bola Tinubu as you oblige us with the immortalising Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and releasing Nnamadi Kanu from DSS custody,” stated Lolo Kate Ezeofor, President General and Founder of Umuada Igbo Nigeria and Diaspora.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State spoke during Iwuanyanwu’s funeral at the former Eastern Nigeria Government lodge in Enugu. He called the late Ohanaeze PG an Iroko and a bridge builder who fostered togetherness during difficult times.

He made a lasting impact on me and had exceptional work ethics. He was a pioneer in the fields of engineering, aviation, sports, media, and industry. Mbah praised him, saying, “He was ahead of his time.”

In his own homage, former Ebonyi State Governor Dr. Sam Egwu described Iwuanyanwu as a remarkable guy with a tremendous frame and personality, recognising that his deeds set him apart from other people.

Iwuanyanwu was a guy who believed in Igboland and was wonderful in every way, according to Chief Garry Igariwey, the former president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Igariwey said, “We want the indulgence of that to ask Mr. President to please come to our aid and free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Amb. Okey Emuchay, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, remembered that Iwuanyanwu would not stop sharing his tale of Biafra and his time spent during the civil war.

Prof. Uche Azikwe, the wife of Nigeria’s first president, begged the federal government to make Chief Iwuanyanwu eternal.