Awka was the setting this week as a significant coalition of Igbo youth groups put aside their differences. In a rare show of unity, they declared their full support for a nationwide peaceful protest scheduled for October 20, 2025. Their central demand is the unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The assembly, which included major student bodies and community youth wings, issued a strong call for solidarity. They urged other ethnic groups and all who believe in justice to join their cause. They argued that Kanu’s continued detention, without a successful conviction by the government, has become a symbol of deeper problems.

A striking part of their message was a direct appeal for calm. The youths explicitly told their members at home and abroad to avoid any violence during the demonstrations. They even invoked Kanu’s own presumed wishes, stating he would not want “any innocent blood to be shed on his behalf.”

Beyond the immediate demand for Kanu’s freedom, the groups voiced a deeper frustration. They pointed to the recent creation of the South East Development Commission, a move they had welcomed. However, they feel that the promised new beginning has not arrived, and the region still suffers from being left out socially and economically.

The youths are pushing for a political solution. They asked the Federal Government to grant amnesty to agitators and release Kanu as a crucial step toward lasting peace. While they thanked regional leaders for previous efforts, they challenged them to do more, to engage the federal government more forcefully to end the standoff.

Their final words carried the weight of a generation’s resolve. “We want peace, but not the peace of the graveyard,” their statement declared. “We want unity, but not the unity of a slave and a master.” This protest is shaping up to be their unified stand, demanding that true national unity must be built on a foundation of justice.