The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has condemned the conviction and life imprisonment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement issued on Friday, Ojukwu said the verdict delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, November 20, 2025, was neither expected nor desired by the people of the South-East.

She stressed that although the outcome was painful, it was now a reality the Igbo people must confront with restraint and wisdom.

“This is not the outcome we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us,” she said.

Ojukwu, widow of the late Biafran leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, urged residents of the South-East and Nigerians at large to remain calm, warning that provocative reactions could heighten tensions within the country and among Nigerians abroad.

“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is a need for calm. I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now,” she cautioned.

She urged the public to avoid actions or statements capable of escalating unrest, saying, “All actions which could be deemed incendiary, and which might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora, should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.”

Ojukwu called for a coordinated political engagement involving all major South-East stakeholders—governors, federal lawmakers, clergy, traditional rulers, political actors and business leaders—to collectively dialogue with the Federal Government toward a peaceful and lasting solution.

“This situation requires careful reflection and constructive dialogue involving all Igbo stakeholders… to engage with government authorities collectively,” she said.
“Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns. The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue.”

She emphasised that peaceful coexistence between the Igbo people and the Nigerian state remains achievable if approached through justice, fairness, and unity.

“The quest for mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria with justice, equity and dignity requires our collective resolve,” she stated, adding that maintaining peace is necessary to protect the lives and security of all citizens.

Ojukwu reassured Nigerians and international observers that prospects still exist for resolving the crisis in a way that reduces widespread tension and trauma.

“I oblige everyone to remain calm and patient… Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck, and to have a joint engagement, sincerely, involving all the South Eastern States, to seek a political resolution to this matter.”

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Background: Ojukwu’s Legacy and Its Connection to the Kanu Case

Bianca Ojukwu’s stance carries historical weight because of her late husband’s central role in Igbo political identity. Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, former Military Governor of the Eastern Region, declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967, following failed negotiations and rising ethnic violence after the 1966 coups.

He led Biafra through the 30-month Nigerian Civil War, which claimed millions of lives—many due to widespread famine—before the region surrendered in January 1970. Ojukwu later went into exile in Côte d’Ivoire, returning in 1982 after receiving a presidential pardon.

Despite the war’s outcome, Ojukwu remains celebrated across the South-East as a symbol of the struggle for justice and dignity for the Igbo people. His legacy continues to influence contemporary debates on marginalisation, self-determination and national unity—issues Nnamdi Kanu revived in his own activism for the restoration of Biafra.