civil activist and philanthropist, Princess Olatorera Majekodunmi-Oniru has urged Nigerians to embrace national unity and peaceful activism in advocating for justice for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, ahead of the October 20 remembrance of the #EndSARS massacre.
In a statement released on Thursday, Princess Olatorera decried the continued adjournment of Kanu’s decade-long trial, asking, “How many more MNKs are abandoned in Nigerian prisons?”
She expressed hope that Kanu would be granted freedom before the significant October 20 date, which historically unites Nigerians against injustice.
The activist emphasised the need for a united, non-partisan front grounded in patriotism and dignity. She condemned the incarceration of visionaries while “exalting kleptocrats” and called for accountability among public officials, warning against complacency in the face of regressive leadership and systemic injustice.
“We must reverse the absurdity of jailing visionaries while exalting kleptocrats. It is unacceptable for unqualified public officials with falsified certificates to continue misusing the nation’s wealth and resources meant to transform millions of lives through the power of highest-quality education, infrastructure, and innovation,” she said.
We must resist the normalisation of regressive leadership and inhumane injustice through complacent silence. Let our voices rise with grace. Let our steps be boldly peaceful.
“And let our rightful demands be honored promptly. Every citizen is entitled to a dignified life, to freedom of speech, of movement, and of association.”
Princess Olatorera also highlighted the deep divisions that have plagued Nigeria for decades, along lines of ethnicity, religion, financial class, education, gender, culture, race, disability, and age, stressing the urgent need for compassion, courage, and conscience in governance.
“We have been intentionally divided for decades by ethnicity, financial class, religion, education, gender, culture, race, disability, and even age,” she said.
“Discrimination sits entrenched in every facet of national life. It is a glaring mandate for our nation to show that compassion, courage, and conscience still live within our governance and our people.”
“Justice delayed for one is justice denied for all,” she said.
Describing the campaign to #FreeNnamdiKanu as a moral awakening that needs a unified quest, Princess Olatorera called for leadership based on selflessness, merit, fairness, and empathy, urging Nigerians to prioritise genuine developmental capacity over superficial displays of power and wealth.
She pointed out ongoing national challenges, including unstable electricity, widespread poverty, and a weakening naira, as evidence of systemic leadership failures.
She underscored the importance of October 20 as a day for national reflection and unity, stating that only through justice and equality can Nigeria prosper and protect the fundamental rights of its citizens.
She said, “Sixty-five years of independence, yet stable electricity remains unachieved. Poverty engulfs more than 90% of our people, and the naira now trades at roughly ₦1,500 to a dollar.
“These are not mere statistics; they are living evidence of leadership failure that should no longer be tolerated.
“October 20 remains a generationally significant day for national reflection against extreme hardship and unspeakable oppression, a day to transcend division and reaffirm our shared humanity.”
”Once justice begins to breathe better, Nigeria begins to rise and prosper into a nation where every citizen is protected from arbitrary deprivation of liberty and from toxic limitations of fundamental human needs. The time is now, or the suffering gets deeper,” she added.
(SaharaReporters)
