Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm and restraint following the conviction and sentencing of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on terrorism charges.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ojukwu said she returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where she had been on a five-day NTAC monitoring mission, only to meet the “sad news” of Kanu’s conviction. She described the development as an outcome “not prayed for,” but one that must now be confronted with maturity and wisdom.
“At this time in our history, there is need for calm,” she said. “I advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now. There is utmost need to exercise restraint in response to this situation.”
She cautioned against any actions—at home or in the diaspora—that could inflame tensions or escalate the situation, noting that “a word is enough for the wise.”
The minister stressed that the moment called for sober reflection and constructive engagement among all relevant Igbo stakeholders, including governors, lawmakers, clergy, traditional rulers, political leaders and business figures. She urged them to collectively interface with government authorities to seek a peaceful and lasting solution.
“Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns, and in the worst case scenario, yet another wasteland,” Ojukwu warned. “The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue.”
She reaffirmed her commitment—and that of many others—to the pursuit of justice, equity and dignity for Ndigbo within the Nigerian federation, insisting that peace and order were indispensable to guaranteeing the safety of all citizens.
Ojukwu also assured Nigerians and the international community that there remained genuine prospects of resolving the impasse in ways that reduce national tension and prevent further trauma.
“Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck,” she said, calling for a united front by leaders of all South-East states to pursue a political resolution to Kanu’s case.
The minister noted that she had been engaging with stakeholders over the years and would continue to do so in the interest of peace, stability and national cohesion.
