Nnamdi Kanu Should Acquit Himself In Court — Buhari
- May consider political solution if…
BY EDMOND ODOK – Despite talks in some quarters about finding a political solution to the President Muhammadu Buhari has ruled out the possibility of letting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), go scot-free.
Maintaining that interfering with judicial processes is not his style of leadership, the President said the IPOB leader should stand up to the challenge of defending himself in the court of law.
“If there is one institution I would not like to interfere with, it is the judiciary. But what I wonder is that when Kanu was in Europe abusing this administration and mentioning too many things, I never thought really he wants to voluntarily come to defend himself,” President Buhari said.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television relayed on Wednesday evening, the President said; “So we are allowing him to defend himself in our system, not to be abusing us from Europe as if he was not a Nigerian. Let him come and criticize us here. Nigerians know that I don’t interfere with the judiciary, let him be listened to.”
He effectively dimmed hopes of those that had dreamed of a possible truce that would possibly secure freedom for the embattled self-acclaimed pro-Biafra activist, saying; “For those who are saying we should release him, no, we cannot release him.”
However, reacting to the likelihood of finding a political solution to the trial, the President volunteered that such an arrangement may come on the table depending on how Kanu conducted himself going forward.
According to the President, “there is a possibility of a political solution. If he behaves himself, all well and good.
“But if you go to a foreign country and keep on sending incorrect economic and security problems against your country, thinking that you never have to account for what you have been doing; let him account for what he has been doing.”
The 54-year-old IPoB leader, who hails from Abia State was first arrested in 2017 for seeking self-determination and ultimate secession of the South-East zone from the Nigerian State.
He, however, jumped bail in June 2018 and fled to the United Kingdom, claiming that his life was under threat in Nigeria.
