Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm across the country—especially within the Igbo community—following the conviction of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on terrorism charges.
In a statement shared on her official X handle on Friday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said she had just returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where she participated in a monitoring mission for the National Tripartite Advisory Council. She described Kanu’s conviction as “not what we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us.”
The minister urged Nigerians to avoid reactions that could heighten tensions either at home or abroad.
“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is a need for calm. I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now,” she said. “All actions that could be deemed incendiary, and which might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora, should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised that dialogue remains the most effective path to resolving the crisis. She called for a united engagement involving Igbo governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers, clergy, politicians, and business leaders to chart a collective way forward.
“The quest for the mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria—with justice, equity and dignity—requires our collective resolve,” she said. “Maintaining peace and order is essential to ensuring the safety of all citizens, regardless of tribe or creed.”
Reassuring both Nigerians and international partners, she noted that opportunities still exist to resolve the matter in a manner that reduces national anxiety and avoids further societal trauma.
She appealed to stakeholders across the South-East to work together toward “a 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.
