Otti Holds High-Level Talks with Tinubu Over IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu

Otti Holds High-Level Talks with Tinubu Over IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday received Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a meeting widely believed to be connected to efforts to secure the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Although the agenda was not officially disclosed, sources said the engagement followed Governor Otti’s recent visit to Sokoto prison, where Kanu is serving a life sentence on terrorism-related convictions. The visit involved Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu, the Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), and Otti’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, alongside officials from Sokoto State Government.

Since assuming office, Governor Otti has consistently prioritised resolving Nnamdi Kanu’s case, stating that his administration is committed to pursuing all legitimate avenues for the IPOB leader’s release. Through his media aide, Otti said:
“While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I have activated, and will continue to work on, the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured.”

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Observers say Tuesday’s meeting reflects Otti’s determination to leverage both state and federal channels in advancing dialogue and exploring possible solutions, highlighting the political, legal, and security sensitivities surrounding the case.

Nnamdi Kanu, a British-Nigerian political activist, began promoting Biafran separatism through Radio Biafra, a UK-based station, in 2009 and formally launched IPOB in 2014. He was first arrested in 2015 on treason charges, released in 2017, and rearrested in 2021 on charges including terrorism, incitement, and affiliation with IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.

On November 20, 2025, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment, sparking protests and renewed calls for his release, with Abia Governor Alex Otti being among the vocal advocates.

Tuesday’s high-level engagement underscores continued federal and state attention to a case that remains a focal point in Nigeria’s legal and political discourse.

Otti Holds High-Level Talks with Tinubu Over IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu