Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm—particularly within the Igbo community—following the conviction and sentencing of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on terrorism charges.
In a statement posted on her official X account on Friday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who recently returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where she was on a monitoring assignment for the National Tripartite Advisory Council, said the judgment was “not what we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality now before us.”
She cautioned against any actions that could inflame tensions at home or among Nigerians abroad.
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“There comes a time in the history of a people when calm is essential. I therefore advise Ndigbo—and Nigerians as a whole—that this is such a time. There is utmost need for restraint in responding to this situation.
“All actions that could be deemed incendiary, or that may escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora, should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the need for dialogue and constructive engagement among Igbo stakeholders—including governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers, clergy, politicians, and business leaders—to chart a collective response.
“The most effective path toward resolving this crisis is dialogue,” she noted.
She added that the pursuit of justice, equity, and dignity for Ndigbo within Nigeria requires collective commitment, insisting that peace and order are crucial to safeguarding all citizens, regardless of ethnicity or creed.
The minister also reassured Nigerians and international partners that opportunities still exist to address the situation in ways that reduce national anxiety and societal trauma. She urged stakeholders in the South-East to “come together in sincere joint engagement to seek a political resolution to this matter.”
Kanu was convicted on November 20 by the Federal High Court in Abuja on seven counts of terrorism. Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment on five counts, 20 years on one, and five years on another—all to run concurrently.
The court opted for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, citing international standards and the interest of justice.
