Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has claimed that the secessionist agitation linked to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 people and widespread destruction of businesses across the South-East.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kalu urged political actors and supporters to set aside “noise-making” and pursue a political solution to the crisis. He noted that public discourse has focused disproportionately on clashes with security forces while ignoring the human and economic toll on ordinary citizens.
Kalu recounted personal stories, including traders who lost livelihoods during unrest, such as a friend of his late mother whose rice business was ransacked, leaving her bankrupt. He emphasized that resolving the crisis requires strategic dialogue, not heightened emotions, and appealed for calm among Igbos.
The senator also recounted his past interventions, including persuading the Buhari administration to grant Kanu bail in 2017 and defending The Sun newspaper’s coverage of the IPOB leader, stressing the importance of a free press.
Kalu defended Justice James Omotosho, who recently sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on terrorism charges, insisting that court rulings must be respected and appeals pursued where necessary. He criticised Kanu for being aggressive toward the judge, contrasting it with his own conduct during his corruption trial.
The former governor concluded that addressing the Kanu-led agitation requires a holistic political settlement and condemned the loss of lives and businesses in the South-East caused by the prolonged unrest.
