Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has said the process to secure the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has commenced, assuring that Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment “is not the end of the road.”

Kanu was on November 20 convicted of terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja — a development Otti said plunged Abia and the entire Southeast into grief.

In a statement on Friday, the governor said the verdict had “broken many of our people,” but noted that a political and diplomatic framework earlier agreed with the Federal Government had now been set in motion following the conclusion of the court process.

Otti recalled his long-standing position that dialogue remains the most effective approach to resolving the IPOB crisis, referencing his strong condemnation of the 2017 military invasion of Kanu’s Afaraukwu home. He said his ThisDay opinion article, Operation Python Dance: Killing a Fly with a Sledgehammer, warned that highhanded tactics would only worsen tensions.

According to him, discussions with top federal officials on an alternative, non-judicial resolution began as far back as December 22, 2023, with certain understandings reached—though dependent on the swift completion of Kanu’s trial.

“With judgment now delivered, the agreed alternative resolution will kick in,” Otti said, adding that he explained the strategy to Kanu during a visit to the DSS facility earlier this year.

The governor said while Kanu is free to appeal the conviction, efforts to implement the diplomatic pathway are already active. He expressed willingness to work with other Nigerians committed to a peaceful end to the matter.

He urged Abia and Southeast residents to remain calm and avoid incendiary remarks that could undermine ongoing engagements with the Federal Government.

“With the assurances I have received, a resolution is in sight, and Mazi Kanu will regain his freedom,” he said.

Otti also cautioned politicians against exploiting Kanu’s situation for political advantage, adding that the collective goal should be peace and justice for the Southeast.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to “wisdom, dialogue and high-level diplomacy” in pursuit of lasting stability across the region.