Former Southeast spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has cautioned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) against issuing threats that could worsen the plight of Nnamdi Kanu, their detained leader.
Reacting to IPOB’s recent warning of “unimaginable consequences” should anything happen to Kanu, Onoh said such inflammatory rhetoric risks hardening the government’s stance. He described it as a setback to ongoing political efforts to secure Kanu’s release from the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
Sit-at-Home as Economic Sabotage
Onoh strongly condemned IPOB’s weekly sit-at-home orders, which he likened to economic punishment for the very Igbo people the group claims to represent. According to him, the directives have drained markets in Onitsha, silenced factories in Aba, and left Enugu’s streets deserted.
“Our GDP contribution shrinks while our people bear the brunt: empty pockets, shuttered businesses, and a generation radicalized into despair,” he warned.
The former spokesman recalled that he had earlier proposed that President Tinubu consider releasing Kanu into the custody of respected Igbo leaders such as Bianca Ojukwu and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General Senator John Azuta Mbata. He said this would restore investor confidence and ease tensions in the region.
Call for Dialogue, Not Division
Onoh urged IPOB to rethink its strategy and embrace dialogue with Ohanaeze and other Southeast leaders. He also advised the group to apologize to victims of violence linked to their activities and support political solutions rather than threats.
“If you truly care for Kanu’s health and freedom, join the chorus for dialogue, not division,” Onoh stressed.
He warned that persisting with threats could prolong Kanu’s detention and worsen the Southeast’s isolation. “The Igbo spirit is one of resilience and ingenuity, not ruinous ultimatums,” Onoh concluded.
