Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has said that the secessionist campaigns led by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 people and caused widespread business collapse across the South-East.
The former Abia State governor made the remarks on Sunday, shortly after Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism charges by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kalu urged South-East political leaders and IPOB supporters to stop “noise-making” and focus on dialogue with the Federal Government, warning that continued agitation only worsens the region’s suffering.
“Over 30,000 Igbos lost their lives. Shops were destroyed, businesses ruined. I sold my own products in Aba and know the scale of the damage,” Kalu said.
He lamented that public discussions have largely ignored the civilian toll, concentrating instead on clashes involving security forces.
“My mother’s friend had a rice shop. They ransacked her business, and she went bankrupt. Nobody talks about this human cost,” he added.
Kalu also revealed that he has been quietly engaging the Federal Government to secure a political resolution regarding Kanu’s detention, describing it as part of his duty.
Reflecting on past efforts, Kalu said he intervened in 2016–2017 to secure Kanu’s bail, even threatening not to join the APC unless Kanu was allowed to face trial from home.
“I insisted he be released on bail… with support from Alhaji Mamman Daura and Abubakar Malami, Kanu was granted bail in April 2017,” he recalled.
Despite his interventions, Kalu expressed disappointment that Kanu’s subsequent actions “nearly brought the South-East to its knees.”
The senator also defended Justice James Omotosho, who delivered the verdict, stressing respect for judicial authority.
“Nobody should attack Justice Omotosho. If dissatisfied, go to the appellate court. Insulting the judge is unacceptable,” Kalu said, contrasting his own conduct during a 12-year corruption sentence with Kanu’s courtroom behavior.
He called on the Igbo community to adopt a calm, pragmatic approach, warning that continued provocation could further destabilize the region.
Background:
IPOB is a proscribed separatist group aiming to revive the defunct Republic of Biafra, which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 before being reintegrated after the 1970 Civil War.
On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment on multiple counts of terrorism. He also received 20 years for membership in a banned terrorist organization and five years for illegally importing a radio communication device.
The court ruled that Kanu’s threats and enforcement of sit-at-home orders across the South-East constituted terrorist acts under Nigerian law.
