…Says Conviction Not Final; Appeals for Calm as High-Level Dialogue Commences
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has reassured residents of Abia and the entire Southeast that strategic interventions to secure the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, are fully underway. He emphasized that the Federal High Court judgment delivered on Thursday which convicted Kanu on terrorism-related charges and imposed a life sentence does not represent the end of the matter.
In an official statement issued on Friday, Governor Otti acknowledged the widespread grief and distress that greeted the conviction, noting that the development had “broken a lot of our people” and deepened the region’s emotional burden. He, however, urged the public to remain calm, assuring them that a carefully negotiated diplomatic mechanism previously agreed with the Federal Government would now come into effect, following the conclusion of the judicial phase.
Otti recalled that he had long maintained that dialogue, not force, remained the most sustainable way to address the IPOB matter. He traced his position back to 2017, when soldiers invaded Kanu’s family home in Afaraukwu, Umuahia, a military action he publicly condemned as avoidable and counterproductive. The governor drew attention to his widely read ThisDay article titled “Operation Python Dance: Killing a Fly With a Sledgehammer”, where he warned that the use of excessive military force would inflame rather than resolve tensions.
According to him, the state and the nation are today living with the consequences of those early missteps. “Leadership,” Otti reiterated, “requires emotional intelligence, restraint, and tolerance rather than force and violence.” He stressed that the mishandling of the IPOB issue at its formative stage contributed significantly to the escalation witnessed over the years.
The governor further revealed that on December 22, 2023, he initiated discreet discussions with top Federal Government authorities to pursue a political and diplomatic solution to the impasse. Those engagements, he said, yielded strategic agreements, but their execution was tied to the outcome of the court process that has now concluded. With the judgment delivered, he confirmed that the next phase an alternative resolution mechanism sanctioned at the federal level had officially commenced.
Otti disclosed that during his visit to Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody earlier in the year, he personally briefed him on the roadmap being pursued for his eventual release. “I have activated and will continue to pursue the agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” the governor affirmed.
While acknowledging that Kanu retains the right to appeal his conviction, Governor Otti emphasized that the diplomatic pathway already established stands as the most realistic and constructive route toward a lasting resolution. He expressed readiness to collaborate with all credible stakeholders both within and outside the Southeast who sincerely desire peace and a resolution to the protracted crisis.
The governor appealed to residents of Abia and the broader Southeast to remain calm, stressing that inflammatory remarks or actions could undermine ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government. “With the assurances I have received,” he said confidently, “a resolution is in sight, and Mazi Kanu will receive his freedom.”
Otti also issued a stern warning to political actors seeking to exploit Kanu’s ordeal for personal gain. He urged them to resist such temptations and instead join the collective effort aimed at securing the IPOB leader’s release. According to him, the moment calls for unity, maturity, and a shared commitment to peace not divisive politics.
Reaffirming his long-term commitment to restoring stability to the Southeast, the governor pledged to continue to apply “wisdom, high-level dialogue, and diplomacy” until a durable and peaceful solution is achieved. He emphasized that the ultimate goal remains the restoration of peace, cohesion, and social harmony in the region.
In the closing sections of his statement, Otti revisited the painful memories of the 2017 military operation, reiterating that the tragic loss of lives and destruction of property during the invasion of Kanu’s family home should never have happened. He noted that he had, at the time, presented thoughtful and detailed options for de-escalation recommendations that, if heeded, might have saved the nation years of tension and polarization.
“Now that the judicial phase has run its course,” the governor concluded, “we must collectively commit to a path of healing, reconciliation, and constructive engagement. With sincerity from all parties, a positive outcome is within reach.”
