Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer Urges Minister Bianca Ojukwu to Advise Tinubu on IPOB Leader’s Release
By Okafor Joseph Afam
October 26, 2024
Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has urged Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria’s new Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, to use her influence to advise President Bola Tinubu on the release of Kanu. Ejimakor believes that as the widow of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Bianca is uniquely positioned to convey the negative impact Kanu’s continued detention has on Nigeria’s international standing.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ejimakor stated, “I told @DailyPostNGR that: ‘As the new Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu is now in a position to, without hesitation, advise President Tinubu on the significant damage the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is doing to Nigeria’s image abroad.’”
Ejimakor’s remarks add fuel to ongoing discussions surrounding Kanu’s detention, a case that many critics claim highlights Nigeria’s “Igbo problem.” Prominent figures have voiced concerns, with Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, describing Kanu’s imprisonment as part of Nigeria’s post-civil war treatment of the Igbo people. Sowore expressed disappointment with President Tinubu’s administration for upholding Kanu’s detention, despite hopes for a different approach.
The controversy surrounding Kanu’s detention has sparked heated debates, with Nigerians, international bodies, and advocacy groups calling for his release. While Ejimakor’s statement reflects a glimmer of hope for Kanu’s supporters, the matter remains complex and sensitive, with no immediate resolution in sight.
