FG: Forensic Investigation Has Revealed ‘Treasure Trove of Information’ on Kanu, Collaborators
- Says Kanu’s collaborators will face full wrath of the law
By Olawale Ajimotokan
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has stated that the collaborators of the now arrested leader of the Independent People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu will face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenged the nation’ s sovereignty and threatened its unity.
Mohammed asserted government’s planned course on the arrested leader of the proscribed separatist group, who is now standing trial for an 11-count charge of treason, treasonable felony, terrorism and illegal possession of firearms, among others, at a media briefing Thursday.
The minister, who refused to take questions from the media after flipping through his speech in over six minutes, said that forensic investigation carried out so far had revealed a treasure trove of information on Kanu and his collaborators.
He vowed that the IPOB leader’s financiers will be exposed no matter how highly placed, saying no one is bigger than the country.
Kanu, who jumped bail and left the country in 2017, was rearrested and repatriated to Nigeria over the weekend through the collaboration of the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies.
His trial has since resumed when 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), while the case was adjourned till July 26-27, 2021.
Mohammed said that for over two years, that the security and intelligence agencies were on the trail of the proscribed IPOB leader, Kanu lived a five-star life 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 an attire made by Fendi, a luxury Italian fashion brand, when he was arrested,”.
He also described the operation which culminated in the re-arrest of fugitive IPOB leader as one of the most classic operations of its type in the world.
“Gentlemen, the Federal Government wishes to commend the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, who collaborated to re-arrest the proscribed IPOB leader in one of the most classic operations of its type in the world. 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,” Mohammed said.
He also berated some people for suddenly 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 of fair trial for the separatist leader, insisting 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 surrounding how Kanu’s re-arrest was pulled off and in which country the IPOB leader was nabbed, 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”.
