President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly held a meeting with the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, December 2, a development that observers widely interpret as a key move in ongoing, high-level efforts to secure the release of the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. This crucial meeting comes only days after Governor Otti made a notable visit to Kanu at the correctional facility in Sokoto State where the separatist figure is currently serving a life sentence.
The Governor’s visit to the outlawed pro-Biafra group’s leader took place on Sunday, November 30, with reports confirming he was accompanied by Sokoto State government officials. This engagement has now culminated in the subsequent sit-down with President Tinubu in the nation’s capital. Just over two weeks prior to these events, on November 20, Kanu, an indigene of Afara-Ukwu in Abia State’s Umuahia North local government area, was found guilty on all seven counts of terrorism filed against him by the Nigerian government. Following the verdict, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, sentenced him to life imprisonment and issued an order restricting his access to mobile and broadcasting equipment unless under the strict supervision of security operatives. Shortly after his conviction, the IPOB leader was transferred from the Abuja facility to the prison in Sokoto State.
During his visit to the correctional centre, Governor Otti reportedly conveyed a strong message of assurance to the convicted separatist, promising to “resolve” his issues with the Nigerian government through administrative means and ultimately secure his freedom. The Governor encouraged Kanu to remain “calm and strong,” further asserting that the matter would be resolved, leading to his eventual release. The current meeting between the President and the Abia Governor at Aso Rock, therefore, signals a potential acceleration of these promised administrative efforts amidst sustained national and international calls for Kanu’s release.
