Presidency speaks on Nnamdi Kanu’s re-appearance

The presidency on Tuesday said the truth about the alleged assassination or kidnap of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has been revealed if the video footage of his appearance in Jerusalem is true.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu stated this while reacting to the news of Kanu’s appearance on BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday.

“If it happens to be true, the video footage showing Mr Nnamdi Kanu; the truth has been revealed about his alleged assassination against Nigerian government,” Shehu said.

Kanu’s followers believed he must have either been killed or secretly jailed by the Nigerian military after an invasion of his Umuahia, Abia State abode more than a year ago.

The controversial leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), disappeared last year after clashes between his supporters and soldiers involved in a military exercise in Abia State.

Read also: DSS denies aiding Kanu’s escape

Many IPOB supporters and Kanu’s lawyer had variously called on the Nigerian government to produce the separatist leader dead or alive.

He however resurfaced on Friday in a video purportedly showing him praying at the Western Wall of Jerusalem. The Israeli Government has however said Kanu has not entered the country of recent. It claimed the video might have been an old one.

Shehu, while reacting to the news, said the Federal Government was put under pressure on false accusations Mr Kanu had either been killed or kidnapped.

“This fairy tale went up to United Nations General Assembly where some IPOB members staged a protest accusing Nigeria government of kidnapping and even killing of Mr. Kanu”, he said.

According to the presidential spokesman, since Kanu has reappeared, people will know who lied between the government and those that made accusations.

On what will happen if Kanu makes good his threat to return to the country, Shehu said his trial would be expected to continue.

 

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