Nigerian Army authority has issued a statement, denying threat messages issued against members of the public ahead of the planned mass protest slated for October 20, 2025 to demand for the release and freedom of the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, just as the organiser and chief campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters news media met to seek understanding with the former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who, according to Sowore, promised to visit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the issue with him.

Nigerian Army in a statement on Friday, said; “the attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a misleading publication by Sahara Reporters alleging that a Facebook page purportedly operated by military personnel issued veiled threats against certain individuals ahead of a planned October 20 protest. The report is not only false but a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and discredit the noble institution of the Nigerian Army.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Army has only two official social media handles, namely @HQNigerianArmy and @NigerianArmyInfo, which are duly verified on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube. Any other page or account outside these verified handles does not belong to the Nigerian Army and should be disregarded in its entirety.

It is pertinent to state that certain civilians and online content creators now operate pages that post military-related contents purely for the purpose of generating online traffic and monetary gain. Such pages have no affiliation whatsoever with the Nigerian Army. The NA therefore dissociates itself completely from any post, statement, or activity emanating from these unauthorised sources.

The Nigerian Army remains a professional, disciplined and apolitical institution committed to the defence and unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, the NA continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

The general public and media practitioners are hereby enjoined to verify all information concerning the Nigerian Army only through its official platforms or the Directorate of Army Public Relations before publication or dissemination.

The Nigerian Army therefore urges Sahara Reporters and other media outlets to exercise due diligence in verifying the authenticity of their sources to avoid the spread of falsehood capable of misleading the public and undermining national security”.

Omoyele Sowore in a statement made available through his personal social media accounts on Friday, said that; “earlier today in Abuja, I met with former President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss the continued incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

President Jonathan agreed that there is an urgent and compelling need to address this matter decisively and justly. I thank him sincerely for recognizing the importance of resolving Kanu’s case in the interest of peace, fairness, and national healing. Particularly assuring was that he promised to meet Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss this issue as soon as possible.

With this, former President Jonathan joins a growing list of Nigerians who have called for justice in Nnamdi Kanu’s case, a list that already includes ex Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Femi Falana, SAN, Senator Shehu Sani, and many others across political and regional divides.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention today because he took up the just cause of confronting the long-standing issue of marginalization in Nigeria. Like other ethnic and regional activists whose politically motivated cases have been withdrawn or dismissed, Nnamdi Kanu should also be released without further delay.

I once again call on all political, cultural, ethnic, and religious leaders across Nigeria to join this noble cause. In particular, I invite my brothers and sisters from the South East, Mr Peter Obi, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Alex C Otti, Francis Nwifuru, Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodinma, Obiageli Ezekwesili, John Mbata of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide as well as Nigerians of conscience everywhere, to lend their voices to the call for justice and freedom.

Nnamdi Kanu should be set free.
And I remain firmly committed to peacefully mobilizing for justice and freedom in this matter”.

On Thursday, Omoyele Sowore in a statement challenged the decision to set free and grant presidential state pardons to convicted individuals by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu without considering the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

According to Sowore; “Today, President Bola Tinubu extended pardons to a long list of convicted individuals including a cocaine trafficker serving a life sentence, an alleged Coup plotter, Mamman Vatsa, the late Nnamdi Azikiwe and Herbert Macaulay, and even Farouk Lawan, the former lawmaker convicted for taking bribes on tape. He also pardoned other known fraudsters and corrupt politicians.

Yet, in all of this, Tinubu refuses to even consider the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has been unjustly detained for years despite multiple court orders mandating his freedom.

It is a glaring hypocrisy, criminals and political thieves are forgiven, celebrated, and rehabilitated while a man demanding self-determination and justice remains behind bars and tossed around in courts with the pretence that somehow it is about law”.

Earlier, Sowore raised an alarm that; “The Presidency is using DSS to contact and threaten politicians from the Southeast, warning them not to endorse the Free Nnamdi Kanu Now movement or participate in Free Nnamdi Kanu Now, the planned march to Aso Rock Villa. They’ve contacted some names mentioned in my postings to gaslight them, claiming the protest was to foment chaos and violence; they’re terrified. However, we move forward and cannot be stopped”.