Bianca Ojukwu Urges South-East to Pursue Dialogue Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Imprisonment

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has called on residents of the South-East to adopt dialogue and peaceful engagement in addressing the recent imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu.

She made the appeal on Wednesday during the 14th Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day held at the Ojukwu Memorial Library in Owerri, Imo State.

Ojukwu reminded attendees that although a trial court had passed a prison sentence on Kanu, “all hope is not lost,” emphasizing that constructive dialogue could pave the way for his release from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

The annual memorial, established by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, founder of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), draws participants from across the five South-East states and beyond.

During her speech, Ojukwu also requested a minute of silence in honour of late BBC journalist Mr. Frederick Forsyth, noting that he had “resigned his job to cover all things that happened during the 1967 to 1970 Biafra and Nigerian civil war.”

She cautioned against violent responses to Kanu’s incarceration, saying:
“Nnamdi Kanu is in prison, we should not get angry, and it is not an issue to use knives, guns or fighting ourselves in order to solve it.”

Ojukwu urged South-Easterners to engage elected officials constructively during the Christmas season:
“All of us should endeavour to meet with our National Assembly members and our governors, ask them the way forward to ensure that Kanu is freed from prison.”

She further encouraged collective planning toward peaceful engagement, including seeking an audience with President Bola Tinubu to “amicably resolve this matter.” According to her, other regions often address their concerns through dialogue, and the South-East should do the same.

Ojukwu also expressed worry over declining use of the Igbo language among children and urged parents to promote mother tongue learning, stressing its importance in child development.

On insecurity in the region, she noted that “even during the Nigerian civil war, Igbo people were not killing themselves or kidnapping people for ransom,” describing the current situation as “strange.” She encouraged youths to embrace patience, peace, and dialogue as the most productive path forward.

Chairman of the event, Ugwunna Ajaelu, also appealed for calm, urging the South-East to adopt diplomatic approaches to Kanu’s imprisonment and assuring that “all hands must be on deck to ensure that he is released in no distant time.”

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