Nnamdi Kanu has been placed under house arrest, says lawyer
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), says his client has been placed under house arrest by the Nigerian army.
Soldiers surrounded Kanu’s home in Umuahia, Abia state on Tuesday, two days after they had clashed with his supporters in the area.
In a statement issued shortly after the incident, Ejiofor said he got a distress call from Kanu but that he couldn’t confirm whether he is alive or dead.
He also accused the soldiers of killing four members of IPOB in the area.
“Just to notify the world that my client’s (Nnamdi Kanu) house is presently under siege by the trigger-happy soldiers acting under the direct instruction of chief of army staff,” the statement read.
“He has been placed under house arrest at the moment while shooting sporadically into the air. Casualties are being counted as the unprovoked assault progresses. Some IPOB members have just been killed at least four people.
“They drove in in their thousands to arrest and maim him. I just got a distress call from him now. Further efforts to establish contact with him have remained unsuccessful.
“As it stands now, I can’t confirm whether he is dead or alive.”
Ejiofor further said the federal government is attempting to “eliminate” Kanu through ‘Operation Python Dance,’ the military exercise recently launched in the south-east.
“It (the exercise) is yielding the desired result to the presidency, having launched a manhunt for my client and unarmed members if Indigenous People of Biafra,” he added.
“Let the world know that the federal government has practically abandoned their case in court in search of a brute route to eliminate my client.
“As I type this statement, his residence has been cordoned off by the military, majority of whom are of Fulani extraction.
“The world should hold Buhari-led federal government responsible if anything untoward happens to Nnamdi Kanu. The situation is very tense at the moment.”
The country is in shamble and total jeopardy, who arrested the arewa youth Protestant leader no body, who sued or even question the statement that the igbos should leave the north nobody, then why the sudden arrest of Mr. Nnamdi KANU. I put to you the chief of armed staff and the president of this so called country Mr. Buhari and osinbajo conflict resolution shouldn’t start with violent rather dialogue and it should done on a peaceful platform. The minister on political affairs and special adviser to federal government on political matters I think your offices should be nullified because you both don’t know your stand,this act will promote secessionism in the country and it always turn out to be a bloody riot, at least you guys should revisit what happened in 1960s between Nigeria and Biafra. My advice to all the parties involved in this; is that nnamdi KANU should be released to the ipob as arewa protest was not interrupted, theirs shouldn’t be an exception, and as for the soldiers you are trained for war and not for arrest or have you people assume the duty of the police, killings of the Igbo’s is becoming outrageous and if it continues they are left with no option than to fight back. And if nnamdi KANU is not released within 48 hours I will now involve the outside world in this
Wise step, so far. Nuissances need to be check, but not kill. It’s becoming unbecoming of Namdi Kanu.