The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, has urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to release Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu has been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 on charges of alleged treason.
Speaking during a memorial event for her late husband, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, in Owerri, Bianca Ojukwu emphasized that Kanu’s release would foster peace and accelerate development in the South-East region.
She noted that the Igbo people need to reflect on their heritage and history, highlighting how unity once defined the community.
“In the past, Igbo unions in places like Kano, Lagos, and Kaduna served as platforms for addressing issues and fostering unity,” she said.
Bianca lamented the current state of insecurity in the South-East, including killings, kidnappings, and the enforced “sit-at-home” directives by non-state actors. She expressed sorrow that many people from the region no longer feel safe returning home for family occasions, such as burials or weddings.
“People are now forced to buy burial grounds abroad because they cannot return home to bury their loved ones. This is a tragic departure from the peaceful Igboland we once knew,” she stated.
The minister called on those contributing to the unrest to lay down their arms and work towards restoring peace.
Ralph Uwazuruike, the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), also appealed to the federal government to free Kanu. He asserted that Kanu’s release would help stabilize the region and promote peace.
Uwazuruike described the memorial as a celebration of Ojukwu’s enduring legacy, urging that his ideals of unity and justice be preserved.
Both Bianca Ojukwu and Uwazuruike stressed the urgency of addressing the insecurity plaguing the South-East, calling for collective action to revive the spirit of togetherness and development in the region.
