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IPOB Agitations Killed 30,000 People, Destroyed Businesses In South-East – Kalu.
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He urges political dialogue to resolve Kanu’s case and restore peace.
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Senator defends judiciary and reveals past efforts supporting Kanu’s bail.
The Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, says the long-running secessionist agitations associated with the activities of the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, have led to the death of more than 30,000 people and the collapse of thousands of businesses across the South-East.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State, made the claim on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he spoke extensively about the human and economic damage that has accompanied the agitation and the violent confrontations linked to IPOB.
He lamented that public commentary often focuses only on security clashes, while the deeper suffering of ordinary residents, traders and families remains largely ignored. According to him, “I wouldn’t like to talk about this issue. It’s not the time for noise-making or fighting. It’s a time for sober reflection. We have to solve this problem holistically. Do you know that over 30,000 Igbos were killed? People who have shops lost their businesses.”
Kalu said he personally witnessed the destruction of livelihoods, recalling traders who were left bankrupt, including a family acquaintance. “My mother’s friend had a rice shop. The woman who owed my mother about N4.2m. But they ransacked the old woman’s shops and she went bankrupt. Nobody talks about it,” he lamented.
Speaking against the backdrop of Kanu’s recent conviction on terrorism charges, Kalu urged political actors and supporters to embrace constructive dialogue, insisting that a political solution is the most realistic path to ending the crisis. “The problem of Nnamdi Kanu is what we need to solve through political process,” he said.
He added that the theory earlier advanced by Bianca Ojukwu and Mascot Kalu, which called for strategic political engagement, should be taken seriously rather than drowned by what he described as needless noise. “Let me tell you. I have been working with the Federal Government on how to solve this issue,” he said.
Kalu further revealed his previous interventions on Kanu’s behalf, including persuading the Buhari administration in 2017 to grant bail. “Late President Buhari, with his minister of justice, and the DSS found a way to support me because I told them I wouldn’t join the party if Kanu was not released on bail,” he said. He also recounted resisting pressure on The Sun Newspaper, which he owns, to stop publishing Kanu-related stories, saying, “I’m for free press.”
The senator defended Justice James Omotosho, who convicted Kanu, stressing that judicial processes must be respected. “Nobody should question the decision of Justice Omotosho. If you are displeased, you go to the appellate court. It’s not to start insulting the man,” he said.
