How we captured IPOB leader – Lai

The Federal Government has explained how the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was re-arrested on Sunday and extradited to Nigeria.

Kanu, who jumped bail in 2017 and fled Nigeria, was re-arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a press conference in Abuja Thursday, said Kanu’s re-arrest was made possible by the diligent efforts of Nigeria security and intelligence agencies in collaboration with countries with which Nigeria had obligations.

Mohammed, who did not name the countries involved, said: “We continue to respect and honour the obligations.”

He said the government commended the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, who collaborated to re-arrest Kanu in “one of the most classic operations of its type in the world.”

He said the government commended the professionalism, diligence, patriotism and painstaking efforts of the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, and thank the sister international agencies that collaborated with the country to pull off the arrest.

He said while the investigation continued, the government assured Nigerians that none of Kanu’s collaborators, irrespective of their standing in the society, would be spared as they would all face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenged Nigeria’s sovereignty and threatened its unity.

“No one, no matter how highly placed, is bigger than the country,” the minister emphasized.

“It will interest Nigerians to know that for over two years, our security and intelligence agencies were on the trail of the proscribed IPOB leader as he lived a five-star life across several countries, travelling on chartered private jets, living in luxury apartments and turning out in designing 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.

“We can tell you that the forensic investigation carried out so far has revealed a treasure trove of information on the proscribed IPOB leader and his collaborators,” the minister said.

He said it was interesting that many were suddenly calling for a fair trial for Kanu as if he did not get one before he decided to jump bail and flee.

The minister, however, assured that the fair deal which “Kanu denied many of the victims of the violence which he willfully instigated through his broadcasts and tweets will not be denied him.”

“There have been speculations on how this re-arrest was pulled off and in which country the hitherto fugitive leader of the proscribed IPOB was nabbed.

“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.”