Abia State Governor Alex Otti says he has begun implementing measures aimed at ensuring the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who was recently convicted.
According to Otti, the approach to securing Kanu’s freedom was crafted earlier during the IPOB leader’s trial.
Nnamdi Kanu was on Thursday handed a life sentence by the Federal High Court in Abuja after Justice James Omotosho found him guilty of terrorism-related offences, including incitement, association with a proscribed group, and issuing threats against both Nigerian and international targets.
In a statement endorsed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Otti explained, “While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I am pleased to inform you that I have activated, and will continue to implement, the agreed strategy until his freedom is secured.”
He went on to say that he had already updated key national authorities on the agreements previously reached during his visit to Kanu while the IPOB leader was in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The governor reiterated his position that the early response to IPOB’s concerns was poorly handled, stressing the need for calm while advocating a political resolution to the long-standing dispute.
As he noted, “The poor management of the IPOB issue in its early stages created the challenges we face today. We cannot allow it to fester and escalate into a larger, more dangerous crisis.”
Otti also cautioned political actors against capitalizing on the situation for their own benefit.
He stated, “I urge those seeking to play petty politics with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s plight to abandon that approach and instead work with us to secure his freedom.”
He added that he is willing to collaborate with any Nigerians genuinely committed to resolving the issue, saying, “I am also happy to work with other well-meaning Nigerians who genuinely want this problem resolved, pushing for his release through the same diplomacy and dialogue with the federal government, which, though not responsible for creating the problem, has the courage and capacity to resolve it and take the credit.”
The governor noted the emotional toll that the case has taken on Abia State residents and others across the region.
He also recalled the September 2017 military operation at Kanu’s family residence, which led to casualties and the destruction of properties. Reflecting on the incident, he stated, “I strongly condemned that avoidable act and appealed that dialogue be pursued as the most effective means to resolve the IPOB issue.”
