Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has confirmed that governors of the South East are in discussions with the Federal Government to secure the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking during his monthly media interaction with journalists on Thursday, Governor Otti said that while details of the engagements could not be made public, he and his counterparts are working behind the scenes to ensure Kanu’s freedom.
“As his governor, I am in the forefront of ensuring that he comes back. The South East governors are also involved. So, we are discussing,” Otti stated.
Security and State Priorities
Beyond the Kanu matter, the governor emphasized that his administration is prioritizing security, particularly as the year enters the ember months.
“We will continue to support security agencies — the police, army, and DSS — with resources to make their work easier. We are also renovating and expanding the prison, not because we expect more criminals, but to improve facilities,” he explained.
Otti commended security agencies for maintaining relative peace in the state and urged residents to remain vigilant.
“The state has been relatively peaceful, but we must all be more security-conscious during the ember months. A large part of the success in security is information. If citizens support the government with information, it will be very helpful,” he added.
Tackling School Vandalism
The governor expressed concern over cases of school vandalism linked to youths in the state. To curb the trend, he announced plans to recruit four security personnel for each school, who will resume duty soon.
Infrastructure and Presidential Visit
On infrastructure, Otti revealed that President Bola Tinubu would visit Abia next Friday to commission a set of completed roads in Aba.
“We are almost set to flag off the reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene federal road. The President will also commission a pack of routes and seven other completed roads in Aba,” Otti disclosed.
Abia Airport Compensation Disputes
Responding to protests by some Nsulu community members over unpaid compensation for lands acquired for the Abia Airport project, the governor admitted lapses but assured that corrective measures were underway.
He explained that some genuine landowners were omitted from payment lists, while others failed to complete required documentation. He also noted that the contractor mistakenly encroached into unmarked areas, an error that has since been corrected.
Governor Otti concluded by highlighting his administration’s progress in various sectors and assured residents of more developmental projects in the coming months.
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