Senator Ned Nwoko has declared that peace will continue to evade Nigeria’s South-East until the federal government addresses the region’s long-standing sense of marginalisation.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels TV, the lawmaker representing Delta North said the unrest in the region stems from “perceived injustice by successive governments”.
Nwoko urged the creation of Anioma State and the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as crucial steps towards ending insecurity and restoring calm.
“The problem in the South-East has to do with perceived injustice. What needs to be done is the creation of a new state to make up six in the region, and the release of Nnamdi Kanu. By doing these two things, I am almost certain peace will return,” Nwoko said.
Currently, the South-East has five states—one fewer than other geopolitical zones. The region has faced persistent unrest, mostly linked to IPOB’s separatist agitation.
Nwoko described Kanu’s continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) as unjust, insisting that a political solution would help ease tensions and encourage dialogue.
The senator, who leads the campaign for the creation of Anioma state from Delta, said progress is being made as the National Assembly’s constitutional review committee has endorsed the need for an additional state in the region.
He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would approve the proposal if it is recommended, describing the move as “the best gift the president could offer the Igbo people.”
