Tinubu, Otti Reportedly Hold Crucial Meeting Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what political observers believe is part of ongoing engagements toward securing the release of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Although details of the discussions were not made public at the time of filing this report, presidency sources say the meeting is connected to growing political, diplomatic, and legal efforts surrounding Kanu’s incarceration.

The meeting comes barely days after Governor Otti visited Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, where the IPOB leader is currently serving a life sentence following his November 20, 2025, conviction by a Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges, a ruling that sparked protests and renewed calls for his release across parts of the Southeast and in the diaspora.

During the Sokoto visit, Governor Otti assured Kanu that engagements he initiated over two years ago were being strengthened and pursued more aggressively, promising to mobilize all legitimate means to secure his release.

“While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I’m happy to inform you that I have activated and will continue to work on the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” Governor Otti said after the meeting.

ABN TV reports that the Sokoto visit included Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; the Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, SAN; and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Political analysts say Tuesday’s engagement with President Tinubu suggests that conversations around Kanu’s case may be shifting from purely legal proceedings to a broader political negotiation framework similar to past federal resolutions involving high-profile national security cases.

As agitation groups, traditional leaders, political actors, and civil society continue to mount pressure for a political solution, the outcome of the Abuja meeting is expected to shape ongoing discussions in the coming days.