Abia State Governor Alex Otti has broken his silence following the life imprisonment sentence handed to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Otti said he had already activated a well-structured plan aimed at securing Kanu’s eventual release.
Otti Confirms Ongoing Strategy for Kanu’s Freedom
In a statement released on Saturday, the governor said he had initiated the process long before Kanu’s conviction and would keep pursuing it until the goal is achieved.
According to him, “some agreements” had been reached with “the highest authorities” during his earlier engagements in Abuja.
He explained that Kanu had been briefed during his visit to the Department of State Services (DSS) facility earlier in the year.
‘IPoB Issue Was Poorly Managed from the Start’
Otti faulted how the federal authorities initially handled the grievances of the group, noting that the lack of tact worsened the situation.
He warned that allowing the tension to drag on could create “a bigger monstrous situation” in the future.
The governor recalled that as far back as 2017, after the military invasion of Kanu’s family home in Afaraukwu, he had warned that dialogue rather than force was the best way to prevent further escalation.
Appeal for Calm in Abia and the South East
The governor urged residents of Abia and the entire South East to remain calm despite the shock and sorrow caused by the judgment.
He appealed to citizens to avoid inflammatory statements or actions that could disrupt the delicate engagements currently ongoing with the federal government.
He assured that based on the assurances he received, “a resolution is in sight.”
Governor Otti’s Full Statement
“While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I’m happy to inform you that I have activated and will continue to work on the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured.
“May I caution politicians who have positioned themselves to play petty and dirty politics with the travails of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to jettison the idea, and rather work with us to secure his freedom.
“I’m also happy to collaborate with other well-meaning Nigerians who genuinely want this problem resolved, to push for his freedom through the same diplomacy and dialogue with the federal government, which though did not create the problem, but can courageously and compassionately solve it and take the credit.
“Without doubt, this development has broken a lot of our people and created an atmosphere of shock and sorrow in Abia and beyond.
“This is because I recognise that leadership requires emotional intelligence, restraint and tolerance rather than force and violence.
“I still strongly believe that the poor management of the IPOB issue at the incubation stage created the problem we have today, hence we cannot allow it to linger and create a bigger monstrous situation for us.
“While the trial that led to this conviction lasted, I personally engaged the authorities at the highest level, starting from December 22, 2023, on alternative resolution strategy. I must state that some agreements were made which were dependent on quick dispensation of the matter at the federal high court.
“Unfortunately, the matter dragged until this time. I am confident that judgement having been delivered, the alternative resolution will now kick in. It is instructive that this strategy was explained to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu when I visited him while he was in the DSS Custody earlier in the year.
“I’ll like to use this opportunity to appeal to our people to remain calm and refrain from utterances and actions capable of stoking fear, violence and insecurity and may negatively affect the outcome of the engagements we are already having. I have no doubt that with the assurances I have received from the Federal Government, a resolution is in sight and Mazi Kanu will receive his freedom.
“Finally, I want to assure our people of my unwavering resolve and commitment to genuinely solving this problem with wisdom, high-level dialogue and diplomacy, with a view to ensuring that genuine peace returns to the South East.”