Ohanaeze to Tinubu: Use June 12 to grant amnesty to repentant Biafra agitators

Ohanaeze to Tinubu: Use June 12 to grant amnesty to repentant Biafra agitators

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take advantage of the 2025 Democracy Day celebrations to grant presidential amnesty to 1,335 repentant pro-Biafra agitators.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group said the agitators, drawn from various non-violent and non-proscribed pro-Biafra groups, have resolved to abandon secessionist campaigns and declare allegiance to the Nigerian government.

Ohanaeze said it has spent the past 16 months engaging with the groups through dialogue, advocacy, and partnerships with international humanitarian organisations, leading to their decision to embrace peace.

“This is a landmark moment. For the first time in 55 years, a large coalition of Biafra agitators is ready to constructively engage the federal government and fully rejoin the Nigerian project,” the statement read.

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The group said the agitators are prepared to pledge loyalty to the Tinubu administration during the June 12 celebrations but are seeking amnesty, the dismissal of pending charges, and the release of detained pro-Biafra activists.

Ohanaeze described the development as a “historic opportunity” for Tinubu to resolve long-standing grievances in the southeast and leave a legacy of peace and unity.

“If the government embraces this opening, it will send a strong message to those still holding out — that dialogue and reintegration are possible,” the group said.

It added that the move could help reduce insecurity in the region and dissuade others from embracing violent extremism in the name of Biafra agitation.

“This is a call to write a new chapter for Nigeria. June 12 can become not just a celebration of democracy, but a day of national healing,” the statement concluded.

Ohanaeze to Tinubu: Use June 12 to grant amnesty to repentant Biafra agitators