The wife of former Biafra warlord, Bianca Ojukwu and the lawmaker representing Abia South in the national assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, once again, have called for the release of embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The duo made the call at the 2024 annual convention of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.
This year’s theme, “Stand Up for Your People,” focused largely on the pressing issues affecting the Igbo homeland, particularly the ongoing insecurity crisis.
Also, the issue of Nnamdi Kanu featured prominently.
While re-echoing the call for Kanu’s release, the former Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, as a special guest at the event, noted that his freedom would greatly improve the security situation in the South-East region.
Bianca said, “The incessant killings and kidnappings, the increasing rate of annexation and takeover of community farmlands by armed herdsmen and other dangerous invaders have taken their toll on agro and economic prospects as well as social activities in most Igbo communities.”
She lamented the opportunistic criminal elements who have exploited separatist agitation for their own nefarious ends, sufficiently degrading the capabilities of security forces with their superior firepower.
Ojukwu noted that many people were fleeing their villages out of fear, transforming once-thriving communities into depleted and ghost-like towns.
Bianca called on the governors of the South-East to apply their collective will and collaboration more effectively in tackling the spate of insecurity in the region, warning that the trend posed an existential threat to life in the Igbo homeland.
Also speaking, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe stated that the current insecurity in South-East can be traced back to the arrest and ongoing detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in 2021.
He questioned why the South-East has the highest number of police and military checkpoints per kilometer in Nigeria while unknown gunmen operate freely, causing destruction unchecked.
Abaribe maintained that genuine government and security agencies’ intent to tackle insecurity is necessary for any meaningful reduction across the country.
Meanwhile, other speakers included Hon. Uche Onyeagocha, a former lawmaker and past secretary to the Imo State government; business magnate Chief Dr. Kingson Njoku; Haitian Senator Jean Charles Moise; and industrialist John Gregg, followed by a panel discussion on the economic prospects of the Eastern Region.
Dr. Sly Onyia, President of the Veterans Association, announced that AVID is currently working to establish a direct flight from the United States to the Southeast.
The convention concluded with a banquet featuring lively speeches, entertainment, and award presentations. A highlight of the event was the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as the Patroness of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent association.
