Kanu Not Being Held By Nigerian Govt – Minister
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not being held by the Nigerian Federal government.
This is coming just many days after the Nigerian army clashed with IPOB in Umuahia, Abia state after it launched a military exercise tagged Operation Egwu Eke II or Operation Python Dance II in the south Eastern states of Nigeria.
Ever since the clash which many reports claimed the Nigerian army invaded the IPOB leader’s home and allegedly shot dead many of his supporters, the whereabouts of Kanu has been unknown.
The Nigerian army has however refuted the claims it invaded Kanu’s home nor killed anybody.
In fact, the army accused IPOB members of attacking its personnel with “stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles, among others on a military patrol on Sept. 10, 2017.”
Kanu is currently on bail pending the resumption of his trial in Abuja next month on charges of treasonable felony. Nnamdi Kanu’s supporters claim the military took away the IPOB leader after the claimed invasion.
But in an interview with AFP shortly after the return to Nigeria from London by President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Mohammed said the IPOB leader could be in hiding.
Talking on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition, the Minister disclosed that President Buhari is not in any obligation to disclose his health conditions to anybody even if his medical bills are paid by the state.
According to him, “He’s not being held by government at all.”
He said Kanu had “crossed a line” with his agitation for Biafra and that he (Mohammed) suspects the IPOB leader could be “in hiding.” On the President, he said, “I think there’s so much speculation as to what he’s been treated for.
“I think we would rather respect his privacy. If Mr President feels like telling the world his ailment, so be it. I don’t think he’s under an obligation to tell anyone.”