Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will facilitate the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking during the 13th memorial anniversary of her late husband, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in Owerri on Tuesday, Ambassador Ojukwu emphasized the importance of Kanu’s release in fostering peace and stability in the Southeast.
She noted that addressing the underlying grievances and restoring trust between the government and the people of the region would be crucial for national unity.
Ojukwu called on stakeholders to support dialogue and reconciliation efforts aimed at resolving the issues affecting the Southeast.
She stated, “I believe President Tinubu understands the importance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Doing so will not only address longstanding grievances but also expose those criminal elements who have exploited his detention to commit atrocities in the region.”
Delivering her remarks on the theme “Unifying the Igbo Race,” Bianca Ojukwu called for an end to the violence plaguing the Southeast, emphasizing that the Igbo people are not known for harming their own. She stressed the need for collective action to reclaim the region from criminality and insecurity.
“The release of Nnamdi Kanu is paramount to separating genuine freedom fighters from criminals causing mayhem in the Southeast. Our people face existential threats, and we must act to restore peace,” she said.
She lamented that, years after the passing of Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Southeast has become a region marked by violence and insecurity, forcing many to flee their homes.
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“Communities are empty. Our illustrious sons and daughters have fled. Kidnappers now abduct their brothers for ransom. This is not what Dim Ojukwu fought for,” she said.
Appeal for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
Bianca Ojukwu underscored the need for President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, asserting that his freedom would help identify those criminals hiding under IPOB to wreak havoc.
“President Tinubu understands the importance of Kanu’s release. It will expose the masqueraders behind the violence and help restore order. I will do whatever it takes to ensure His Excellency grants this request,” she stated.
She also decried the imposition of violent “sit-at-home” orders in the Southeast, which she said contradict the ideals of self-determination and have stifled economic activities in the region.
“Ndigbo are enterprising and their brother’s keepers. We must reclaim our land and continue to propagate the ideals for which Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu stood.”
Bianca Ojukwu’s call adds to the growing clamor for the release of Nnamdi Kanu as a means to address insecurity and foster unity in the Southeast.