President Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, must continue his trial in court to defend himself for insulting Nigeria from Europe.
Buhari stated this on Wednesday during an interview aired on Channels Television while reacting to the request by some Igbo leaders for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The president ruled out the possibility of a political solution in the matter, saying that the IPOB leader will account for his actions given the way he insulted his administration from abroad.
He said, “There’s one institution I would not dare interfere with — that is the judiciary. Kanu’s case is with the judiciary. But what I wonder is when Kanu was in Europe abusing this administration, I never thought he would voluntarily come and defend himself on the accusations.
“So we are giving Kanu an opportunity to defend himself in our system, not to be abusing us from Europe as if he was not a Nigerian. Let him come here and criticise us here. His case is with the judiciary, let him be listened to.”
Asked if there was a possibility of a political situation to his case, Buhari replied: “Let him be listened to. For those who are saying that we should release him, no we cannot release him.
“There is a possibility of political solution; if people behave themselves, all well and good, but you can’t go to a foreign country and keep on sending incorrect economic and security problem against your country and thinking that you will never have to account for what you have been doing. Let him account for what he has been doing.”
Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony instituted against him in response to years of the campaign for the Republic of Biafra through IPOB.
KanyiDaily recalls that the AGF Abubakar Malami had revealed that President Buhari will consider the interest of over 200 million Nigerians before granting the call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
