Former Abia State Governor and current Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has stated that the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, never supported another armed struggle, amid rising separatist tensions in the Southeast following the imprisonment of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking on Arise Television, Kalu said his conversations with Ojukwu in the latter’s final years made it clear that while the first Biafran struggle was necessary, any second attempt through violence would be unjustifiable. He emphasized that the ongoing disruptions, including sit-at-home orders and attacks on commerce, betray Ojukwu’s vision for Igboland, which valued education, enterprise, and negotiation.

Kalu warned that the Southeast’s economic and social fabric is being damaged by separatist-linked violence, which he estimates has claimed over 30,000 lives. He dismissed allegations from IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful that he sponsors violent factions, describing his concerns as focused on the welfare of the Igbo people.

Calling for dialogue and economic restoration, Kalu urged all factions to return to negotiation, rebuild commerce, and end internal violence, stressing that peace and development are the only way forward for the region.