A coalition of pro-Biafra supporters calling themselves the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom has called on thousands of Nigerians to converge on the commercial city of Aba in Abia State on Thursday March 12, 2026, for what they are describing as the "One Million March" — a massive peaceful protest demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra who is currently serving a life sentence at a correctional facility in Sokoto State.
"This is the mother of all marches. Wherever you are, head to Aba on 12th March 2026 and march peacefully for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Come one, come all," the organisers stated in a flyer widely circulated on social media ahead of the march. The flyer reads: "1 Million March for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's Freedom — Aba — 12th March 2026."
The planned protest comes against the backdrop of intensifying pressure from Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, governors and civil society organisations on President Bola Tinubu to find a political solution to the Kanu question — a crisis that has destabilised the South-East region for years and shows no signs of resolution. The story was confirmed and reported by Sahara Reporters, with background confirmed by Premium Times, Punch, 9jaSonic, and Wikipedia/multiple sources citing court records and official government statements.
Who Is Organising Today's March — And What They Want
Today's protest is being organised by the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom — a group of pro-Biafra supporters and IPOB sympathisers who have chosen Aba as the venue for the demonstration. Aba is the commercial and industrial heartbeat of Abia State and one of the most politically active cities in the South-East — a city with a long history of pro-Kanu demonstrations going back to 2015.
The organisers' demands are simple and unambiguous: the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu from Sokoto Correctional Facility, where he has been held since his transfer following his life sentence conviction in November 2025. The coalition describes itself as a peaceful movement and has explicitly called for a non-violent march.
Security authorities have a track record of responding to pro-Kanu demonstrations with heavy deployments of police, military, and DSS operatives. Whether today's march in Aba holds peacefully — or is disrupted by security forces or counter-protests — remains to be seen as at the time of publication.
Who Is Nnamdi Kanu — The Full Story
Nnamdi Kanu is the founder and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) — the secessionist organisation that has been agitating for an independent Biafran state carved out of Nigeria's South-East and parts of the South-South since 2012. Born in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Kanu built IPOB into one of the most visible and controversial political movements in Nigerian history — broadcasting his messages via Radio Biafra and drawing millions of followers across the Igbo diaspora.
Kanu was first arrested in Nigeria in October 2015 on charges of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and membership of an illegal organisation. He was released on bail in 2017 — but disappeared from public view after his home was raided by the Nigerian military in September 2017, an operation that reportedly led to the deaths of several IPOB members. He spent years in hiding — reportedly in Israel and then the United Kingdom — before being rearrested in Kenya in June 2021 and controversially renditioned back to Nigeria in what his lawyers described as an extraordinary rendition that violated international law.
After years of legal proceedings, Kanu was convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025. The judge ordered that Kanu be prevented from accessing mobile devices and broadcast equipment except under the supervision of security operatives. He was subsequently transferred from Abuja to the Sokoto Medium Correctional Facility in North-West Nigeria to serve his sentence. In February 2026, Kanu filed an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal — a legal process that could take years to conclude.
What Happened At The October 2025 Protests — The Benchmark For Today
To understand the scale and significance of today's planned march, it is important to look at what happened during the most recent comparable demonstration — the October 20, 2025 protests that Punch described as one of the most dramatic days of civil unrest in Nigeria in recent years.
The October 2025 protests — organised largely by activist Omoyele Sowore and the #RevolutionNow movement — recorded total compliance in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, and in Aba, its commercial hub, as markets, banks and private businesses shut their doors. Supporters were seen marching through city centres singing freedom songs. The Federal Government sought and obtained a court injunction attempting to stop the Abuja leg of the protests — but the demonstrations held nonetheless.
The aftermath was significant: Sowore was arrested. Kanu's lawyer, human rights attorney Aloy Ejimakor, was also arrested and is currently being prosecuted. The US Embassy in Abuja issued a travel advisory warning American citizens to avoid protest areas on October 20. And yet despite all of this — the protests held, the streets filled, and the government's attempt to suppress the demonstrations only drew more international attention to Kanu's case.
Prominent Igbo Leaders Are Now Speaking Out
What has changed most dramatically since the October 2025 protests is the broadening of the coalition calling for Kanu's release — from street protesters to some of the most respected traditional and political figures in Igboland.
At the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja just weeks ago, Lawrence Agubuzu, the traditional ruler of Ezema Olo Community in Enugu State, made a direct and unprecedented public plea to President Tinubu: "Release Nnamdi Kanu or return him to Kenya." The traditional ruler expressed deep anguish, noting that South-East youths are so agitated they have turned on traditional rulers themselves, accusing them of being "sellouts" for their perceived silence.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State — the same state where today's march is planned — visited Kanu at the Sokoto prison in November 2025, in a visit widely interpreted as a signal that even elected South-East governors are now calling for a political resolution. A coalition of prominent pan-Igbo activists also released a joint statement in February 2026 declaring that "only courage, and not cowardice, can rescue Igboland" — urging Igbo traditional rulers to speak with one voice on Kanu's release.
The Security Question — Will Today's March Hold?
The most immediate and practical question hanging over today's One Million March in Aba is whether it will actually hold — and whether it will remain peaceful.
Nigerian security forces have a consistent history of treating pro-Kanu demonstrations as security threats. The DSS, police and military have deployed heavily at every major protest since 2021. During the October 2025 protests, a Federal High Court injunction was issued just days before the demonstration in an attempt to prevent it — yet the protests held anyway.
There is no indication as of Thursday morning whether the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom has obtained police clearance for today's march in Aba — or whether security forces have issued warnings against it. Given the pattern of previous protests, the likelihood of a heavy security presence in Aba today is high. Whether today's march becomes a peaceful display of people power — or a flashpoint for confrontation — will depend on how both protesters and security forces choose to conduct themselves on the streets of Aba this Thursday.
Wetin Today's March Mean for Nigeria
The One Million March planned for Aba today na more than just a protest about one man. E na a barometer of how deep the sense of injustice dey run in Nigeria's South-East — and how far the federal government don go in addressing the legitimate grievances of millions of Igbo people who feel marginalised, ignored and disrespected.
Nnamdi Kanu fit be a convicted man in the eyes of the law. But in the hearts of millions of his supporters, he na a political prisoner — a man wey dey pay with his freedom for daring to demand self-determination for his people. Whether you support Kanu or oppose him, the fact that thousands of Nigerians are willing to march through the streets of Aba today for his release tells you something important about the state of national unity in Nigeria in 2026.
President Tinubu has so far refused to be drawn into the Kanu question publicly. But with traditional rulers, state governors, civil society groups, and now mass street protests all pointing in the same direction, the political cost of continued silence is rising. The question is no longer whether the Kanu issue will be resolved — but when, how, and at what cost to Nigeria's unity. 🇳🇬✊🕊️
Source: This report is based on statements and records confirmed by Premium Times, Punch Newspapers, 9jaSonic, and court records and official government statements, with the March 12 protest announcement reported by Sahara Reporters, citing the Coalition of Lovers of Freedom flyer and organisers' statement on March 11, 2026.