A fresh move to secure the release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, took a new turn on Tuesday after Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
The meeting, which held behind closed doors, is seen as a major step in Otti’s ongoing political and diplomatic engagements targeted at resolving Kanu’s long-running case.
The governor arrived the Villa shortly after his visit to Sokoto, where Kanu is currently being held.
Otti had recently travelled to the Sokoto correctional facility in the company of Emmanuel Kanu, the IPOB leader’s younger brother; the Abia State Attorney-General, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma. Senior officials of the Sokoto State Government were also present during that visit.
During the Sokoto engagement, the governor held a private conversation with Kanu and assured him that his administration was committed to exhausting all lawful avenues to secure his freedom.
Otti has repeatedly described Kanu’s matter as a humanitarian and regional concern that must be resolved.
Following that visit, Otti stated that the state had already activated an agreed strategy designed to lead to Kanu’s release.
He noted that the plan would continue “until his freedom is secured,” emphasizing that the process required patience and steady engagement with all relevant authorities.
Tuesday’s meeting with President Tinubu is believed to be part of this same strategy.
Although details of their discussion were not disclosed, sources at the Villa described the atmosphere as positive, with indications that negotiations involving political and legal considerations may be advancing.
Governor Otti has maintained that even though Kanu retains the right to pursue his appeal in court, political channels remain important in reaching a final settlement.
His administration, he said, will continue to explore peaceful and constitutional options to resolve a matter that has generated deep national debate for years.
The renewed conversations in Abuja have raised expectations among many in the South-East, who have continued to call for Kanu’s release as part of measures to calm regional tensions and promote dialogue.
In a related development, Politics Nigeria earlier reported that Governor Otti visited Kanu in Sokoto and hinted that the agreed roadmap for his release had been reactivated and strengthened after consultations with legal and political stakeholders.
