The federal government has vowed to go after collaborators of the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, no matter how highly placed.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, however, promised that the federal government will give Kanu a fair hearing.
Mohammed stated that Kanu and his collaborators will face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenged the nation’s sovereignty and threatened its unity.
The minister, who refused to take questions from the media after reading his speech, said forensic investigation carried out so far had revealed a treasure trove of information on Kanu and his collaborators.
Kanu, who jumped bail and left the country in 2017, was re-arrested last Friday in Addis Abba, Ethiopia and repatriated to Nigeria on Sunday for the continuation of his treason trial.
He was re-arraigned in court on Tuesday and ordered by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). His case was adjourned till July 26.
Mohammed said the security and intelligence agencies were on the trail of the proscribed IPOB leader for over two years.
He stated that Kanu lived a five-star lifestyle across several countries, travelling on chartered private jets, living in luxury apartments and turning out in designers’ clothes and shoes.
“Of course, as we all saw, he was wearing attire made by Fendi, a luxury Italian fashion brand, when he was arrested,” he said.
He also described the operation, which culminated in the re-arrest of Kanu as one of the most classic operations of its type in the world.
He commended the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, which collaborated to re-arrest Kanu.
He said: “We commend the professionalism, diligence, patriotism and painstaking efforts of our security and intelligence agencies. We also thank the sister international agencies that collaborated with us to pull off this arrest.”
He, however, berated those demanding a fair trial for Kanu “as if he didn’t get one before he decided to jump bail and flee.”
The minister, however, assured the nation of a fair trial for the separatist leader, saying that the fair deal that he denied many of the victims of the violence, which he willfully instigated through his broadcasts and tweets, will not be denied him.
On the speculations on how Kanu was re-arrested and in which country, Mohammed said: “What we can tell you, once again, is that the re-arrest was made possible by the diligent efforts of our security and intelligence agencies, in collaboration with countries with which we have obligations. We continue to respect and honour the obligations.”
