The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has called on all Igbos across Nigeria to close their businesses on Monday, October 20, 2025, in solidarity with a peaceful protest march to Aso Rock.
The protest aims to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in detention despite several court rulings ordering his release.
The OYC stated that the protest, which will be led by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, is aimed at securing Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release.
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The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, by the OYC National President, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, who described the protest as a “moral and patriotic duty.”
He said, “We cannot continue business as usual while a son of Igboland remains unjustly detained against multiple subsisting court judgments ordering his release.”
Igboayaka added that the solidarity march would be a peaceful declaration that the Igbo nation stands with truth, justice, and the rule of law.
He accused the Federal Government of double standards, alleging that bandits in the North had been granted amnesty while Kanu remained in detention.
According to him, “It is an act of ethnic injustice and political persecution against Ndigbo and other marginalized tribes.”
He stressed that the OYC’s call for a business shutdown is meant to demonstrate unity and send a strong message to the government that Igbos will not be silent in the face of continued oppression.
The group urged Igbos in every state to participate peacefully and avoid any acts that could undermine the credibility of the protest.
