- Alex Otti visits Nnamdi Kanu at Sokoto prison after court conviction.
- Otti pushes for political and administrative resolution to Kanu’s case.
- Sultan of Sokoto backs call for de-escalation around Nnamdi Kanu.
- Otti tells Kanu to remain strong as negotiations continue.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has paid a visit to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at a prison facility in Sokoto State. He was accompanied by Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu; the Abia State Attorney-General, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma. Officials of the Sokoto State Government were also in attendance during the meeting.
According to a statement released by the governor’s media team, Otti encouraged Kanu to remain strong, assuring him that efforts to secure his freedom had not slowed down. The governor reminded the IPOB leader that he had been working privately on the matter for more than two years.
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“Governor Otti encouraged Mazi Kanu to remain strong and reminded him that the engagements he started more than two years ago have been intensified,” the statement noted.
The statement further disclosed that Otti discussed with Kanu the need for a political and administrative resolution rather than allowing the issue to continue escalating into a prolonged confrontation.
Otti also revealed that the Sultan of Sokoto supports a peaceful approach to resolving the tensions surrounding Kanu. He added that the Sultan jokingly remarked that Kanu was now his ‘subject’ and would soon be turbaned, a comment that reportedly sparked laughter from the detained activist.
“Governor Otti expressed joy that the Sultan of Sokoto is on the same page with him on the need for Kanu’s freedom and de-escalation of tension,” the statement said.
The visit comes two weeks after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Kanu on terrorism charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Justice James Omotosho found him guilty on all seven counts and ordered that he be barred from using communication devices except under strict supervision.
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Otti has repeatedly maintained that the case requires political resolution and urged stakeholders to work towards peaceful dialogue. Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention since his extradition to Nigeria in 2021, a development that triggered national and international appeals for a diplomatic end to the agitation in the South-East.
The governor’s latest visit is expected to reopen discussions on administrative options that could ease tensions and address long-standing grievances in the region.
“This matter must be resolved politically, not through endless confrontation,” Otti reassured Kanu.
