Senator Orji Uzor Kalu says he has been quietly lobbying the Federal Government for years to secure a political resolution to the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the Abia North senator argued that Kanu’s prolonged legal battle should be resolved through dialogue rather than courtroom confrontations, especially following last week’s terrorism conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kalu disclosed that he has been engaging senior government officials on possible ways to end the impasse, insisting that the issue had gone beyond legal proceedings. He said he intends to reach out to Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to advise President Bola Tinubu on pursuing a more political approach.
The former Abia governor lamented that the activities of IPOB over the years had cost many residents of the South-East their jobs, livelihoods and, in some cases, their lives. According to him, dozens of Igbo people have been killed in the region as a result of the group’s actions and the government’s countermeasures.
Reflecting on past efforts, Kalu recalled putting “enormous pressure” on then-President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate Kanu’s release in 2017, crediting Mamman Daura and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami for helping secure his temporary freedom at the time.
He urged Nigerians to avoid politicising Justice Omotosho’s ruling, noting that Kanu’s lawyers have already signalled their intention to challenge the conviction at the Court of Appeal.
Kalu maintained that addressing long-standing grievances in the South-East through political engagement remains the most sustainable path to peace, adding that he will continue pushing for a resolution that benefits both the region and the nation.
