Abia State Governor Alex Otti has restated his commitment to securing the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, following the life-imprisonment verdict delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 20.

In a statement on Saturday, Otti disclosed that he had already set a strategy in motion long before the judgement. “While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I’m happy to inform you that I have activated and will continue to work on the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” he said.

Otti recounted that during an earlier visit to Kanu in DSS custody, he briefed him on progress made in discussions with “the highest authorities” in the country. He faulted the federal government’s early response to the IPOB issue, saying poor management “at the incubation stage created the problem we have today.”

Cautioning politicians against using Kanu’s situation for personal gain, Otti said: “May I caution politicians who have positioned themselves to play petty and dirty politics with the travails of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to jettison the idea, and rather work with us to secure his freedom.”

He appealed for calm in Abia and across the wider South-East, urging residents to refrain from inflammatory statements that could undermine ongoing engagements.

Reiterating his longstanding preference for dialogue, Otti noted that since the military raid on Kanu’s Afaraukwu home in 2017, he had consistently advocated a strategic and non-violent approach. He referenced his 2017 column, “Operation Python Dance: Killing a Fly With a Sledge Hammer,” where he condemned the invasion and called for a more intelligent and humane response.

The governor revealed that he had been in active discussions with federal authorities since December 22, 2023, pushing for an alternative resolution that depended on the conclusion of the court process.

Expressing optimism, he said the diplomatic phase would now advance: “I am confident that judgment having been delivered, the alternative resolution will now kick in… with the assurances I have received from the Federal Government, a resolution is in sight and Mazi Kanu will receive his freedom.”

Otti reaffirmed his commitment to a peaceful settlement, stating: “I want to assure our people of my unwavering resolve and commitment to genuinely solving this problem with wisdom, high-level dialogue and diplomacy, with a view to ensuring that genuine peace returns to the South-East.”