Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has urged the Federal Government to adopt a political solution in resolving the long-standing case involving the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Kalu made this appeal while reacting to the recent conviction and life sentence handed down to Kanu by the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the former Abia State governor confirmed that he had been engaging government authorities for years regarding the IPOB matter.
According to him, “The issue of Nnamdi Kanu requires a political process. I have been working with the Federal Government on how to resolve this, and no one should question the decision of Justice Omotosho.”
He stated that although Kanu’s lawyers would pursue an appeal, he intends to reach out to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to advise President Bola Tinubu on the next steps. Kalu lamented that several lives and livelihoods in the South-East have been affected by the activities linked to IPOB.
Reflecting on past efforts, the senator disclosed that he mounted significant pressure on former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 to secure the IPOB leader’s release, acknowledging the roles played by Mamman Daura and former AGF Abubakar Malami.
The lengthy legal battle, which began in 2015, took a major turn last Thursday when Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five and six, and further imposed additional sentences of 20 years and five years on other counts.
The judge ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that evidence showed Kanu issued directives that contributed to unrest in the South-East.
However, Kanu’s legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, has vowed that the life sentence will be challenged at the Appeal Court.
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