The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has faulted the conviction and life imprisonment handed to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Bianca, a former Ambassador to Spain, described the judgment as a painful blow to the South-East.
ThemomentNG recall that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Thursday convicted Kanu of terrorism, handing down a life sentence.
The judge had found him guilty of all seven counts charge levelled against him by the federal government of Nigeria.
But in a statement on Friday, Bianca said the ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho, was “not the outcome Ndigbo anticipated nor prayed for.”
Appealing for restraint, the former Nigerian Ambassador noted that any provocative response could worsen tensions across the country and among Nigerians abroad.
“There comes a time in the history of a people when calm is needed. That period is now,” she said.
“All actions that may be deemed incendiary or escalate the situation must be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.”
She urged South-East residents and Nigerians generally not to resort to anger or violence following the development.
Bianca, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, insisted that only collective dialogue among Igbo leaders could pave the way for a political solution.
She called for a broad engagement involving South-East governors, senators, House of Representatives members, traditional rulers, clergy, political leaders and business elites to interface with the Federal Government on resolving the crisis.
“Beating the drums of fury will only lead to diminishing returns and, in the worst case, more wastelands,” she warned. “The most effective path toward resolving this crisis is dialogue.”
Bianca stressed that peaceful coexistence in Nigeria is only possible when the Igbo people are treated with fairness and dignity.
She said she remained optimistic that the impasse could still be resolved in a manner that reduces national tension.
“I oblige everyone to remain calm and patient,” she added. “Now is the time for us in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck and jointly seek a political resolution.”
