Bianca Ojukwu says “A Country That Hold its People Hostage Can’t Have Peace”
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu’s late wife, Biafra leader Bianca Ojukwu has reaffirmed his plea for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the president of the illegal separatist movement Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is being detained by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Asserting that “no nation that holds its people captive can ever have peace,” Mrs. Ojukwu remarked that doing so will aid in the restoration of peace, particularly in the South-East geopolitical zone.
At the 11th annual Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Lectures on Saturday in Owerri, the former Nigerian ambassador to Spain reiterated the appeal. The Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra and the Independence Biafra Movement organized the memorial service (MASSOB-BIM).
Since the federal government extraordinary extradited Mr. Kanu from Kenya in June 2021, he has been detained. Although Mr. Kanu’s charges were dropped by the Court of Appeal in October, the Buhari administration refused to let him go and was successful in having the court revoke his freedom.
His arrest came at a time when the South-East was seeing a spike in unrest due to IPOB supporters enforcing a weekly Monday sit-at-home order that shuts down commerce in the area.
Additionally, unidentified gunmen have persisted in launching deadly assaults against politicians, government workers, and state institutions, murdering people and destroying public buildings.
However, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu urged young people in Nigeria to avoid vices and other anti-social behaviors that are currently endangering the stability and growth of the nation.
She claimed that the nation was on the verge of collapse due to the present wave of violent crimes, murders, kidnappings, and other forms.
Even though Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu ascribed the issue to a lack of work possibilities, she believed it was inappropriate for today’s young to turn to hard drug use, which promotes criminality.
But instead of dismantling the system, she asked them to hold onto hope and take advantage of the 2023 elections to choose the proper candidates for the country’s future governance.
She believed that putting the appropriate leaders in control would generate numerous possibilities for the majority of people to be gainfully employed, which would reduce crime.
The former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria praised the Igbo people for upholding the principles of nationhood that her late husband battled for.
Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, who organized the memorial service since 2012, was commended by Bianca Ojukwu for his efforts.
Fanny Amun, the event’s chairman and a former Green Eagles coach, had earlier congratulated Uwazuruike for encouraging peaceful protests by the Igbo people.
He urged ongoing national unity and peace, saying that the needs and ambitions of Nigerians will be satisfied in due course.
The celebration was attended by Igbo people from the five states of Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Imo, who also performed a variety of masquerades and other cultural dances.
