The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has lamented the escalating violence and insecurity in the southeast.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 13th memorial anniversary of her late husband, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in Owerri, she expressed dismay, noting that the current state of the southeast was far from the vision her husband fought to achieve.
The minister, however, expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s potential to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
She argued that Kanu’s release would expose criminal elements exploiting his detention to perpetrate crimes in the region.
Delivering her remarks on the theme “Unifying the Igbo Race,” she called for an end to the violence, urging the Igbo people to unite and reclaim their heritage from criminality.
She emphasised that the Igbo are not known for harming their own, appealing for collective efforts to restore peace and security in the region.
“The release of Nnamdi Kanu is paramount to separating genuine freedom fighters from criminals causing mayhem in the Southeast. Our people face existential threats, and we must act to restore peace,” she said.
She lamented that years after the passing of her husband, the southeast has become a region marked by violence and insecurity, forcing many to flee their homes.
“Communities are empty. Our illustrious sons and daughters have fled. Kidnappers now abduct their brothers for ransom. This is not what Dim Ojukwu fought for,” she said.
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Bianca Ojukwu underscored the need for President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, asserting that his freedom would help identify those criminals hiding under IPOB to wreak havoc.
“President Tinubu understands the importance of Kanu’s release. It will expose the masqueraders behind the violence and help restore order. I will do whatever it takes to ensure His Excellency grants this request,” she stated.
She condemned the enforcement of violent “sit-at-home” orders in the Southeast, describing them as a contradiction to the principles of self-determination and a significant hindrance to the region’s economic growth.
“Ndigbo are enterprising and their brother’s keepers. We must reclaim our land and continue to propagate the ideals for which Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu stood.”
Ojukwu’s call added to the growing clamour for the release of Nnamdi Kanu as a means to address insecurity and foster unity in the southeast.