Abia Governor Alex Otti has said efforts are being made to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), adding that the plan had been initiated long before the latest court ruling.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment for terrorism.
Judge James Omotosho found him guilty of several charges, including incitement to violence, membership in a banned organization and threats of attacks against Nigerian and foreign targets.
Otti, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said processes aimed at freeing Kanu were already underway.
“While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I am pleased to inform him that I have activated and will continue to implement the agreed strategy until his freedom is guaranteed,” he said.
Otti revealed that he had informed the relevant authorities about the discussions held during his visit to Kanu while he was in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
He criticized the early handling of the IPOB agitation by security officials, insisting that a political solution remained the most effective way forward.
“The mismanagement of the IPOB issue in its early stages created the challenges we face today. We cannot allow it to worsen and become a bigger and more dangerous crisis,” he warned.
The governor also warned politicians not to use Kanu’s ordeal for personal or political gain.
“I urge those who seek to play petty politics with the plight of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to abandon that approach and instead work with us to secure his freedom.
“I am also happy to work with other well-meaning Nigerians who really want this problem resolved, pushing for his release through the same diplomacy and dialogue with the federal government, which, although not responsible for creating the problem, has the courage and capacity to solve it and take credit for it,” he said.
Otti noted that the case has caused great distress among citizens, especially in Abia.
He recalled the September 2017 military invasion of Kanu’s family home in Afaraukwu, which led to the destruction of property and loss of life.
“I strongly condemn this avoidable act and appeal for dialogue to be pursued as the most effective means to resolve the IPOB issue,” he added.
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