OWERRI, Nigeria — In a significant announcement, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, revealed that President Bola Tinubu has agreed to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The statement was made during the 13th memorial anniversary of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in Owerri on Tuesday.
Ambassador Ojukwu emphasized that President Tinubu’s decision to release Kanu is a crucial step in dismantling the networks of criminal elements that have been exploiting IPOB’s name to incite violence in the Southeast region of Nigeria.
“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,” Ojukwu said, highlighting the need to differentiate genuine freedom fighters from criminals who are destabilizing the region.
She also stressed the Igbo people’s commitment to peace, arguing that they are not inclined to harm their own and that collective action is necessary to rid the Southeast of criminal activities and insecurity.
Call for Unity and Economic Reclamation
In her address, the ambassador condemned the violent “sit-at-home” orders imposed in the Southeast, describing them as counterproductive and harmful to the region’s economy. She argued that such actions contradict the principles of self-determination and are stifling economic progress in the region.
“Ndigbo are enterprising and their brother’s keepers. We must reclaim our land and continue to promote the ideals for which Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu stood,” she stated, urging the people of the Southeast to unite and work toward peace and prosperity.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in custody since his controversial repatriation from Kenya in June 2021, and his release has long been a contentious issue. The decision to grant him freedom marks a significant development in the ongoing conversation about self-determination, security, and the role of IPOB in the Southeast.