Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has urged the people of the Southeast to employ dialogue and peaceful approaches in addressing the recent imprisonment of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

She made the appeal during the 14th edition of the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day Celebration at the Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, on Wednesday. Mrs. Ojukwu emphasized that although the court of first instance had sentenced Kanu to imprisonment, hope remained, and peaceful dialogue could secure his release from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

The annual memorial day was established by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, founder of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASOB).

In her speech, Mrs. Ojukwu also called for a minute’s silence for the late BBC journalist Mr. Frederick Forsyth, who she noted had devoted his career to covering events during the 1967–1970 Biafra-Nigeria civil war.

“Nnamdi Kanu is in prison. We should not respond with anger, knives, guns, or internal fighting,” she stated.

She further urged, “This coming Christmas, we should meet with our National Assembly members and governors to discuss the way forward for Kanu’s release. We must unite and plan peaceful strategies, including engaging President Bola Tinubu, to resolve this matter amicably.”