The Presidency has disclosed that the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, would lead to the end of the pro-Biafra group.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, disclosed that IPOB does not enjoy much support in the Southeast.
Shehu pointed out that Kanu and IPOB do not enjoy the support of Southeast governors and lawmakers.
He made the remark in response to the criticism against Buhari by a London-based news magazine, The Economist.
In a statement he posted on his Facebook page, Shehu also disclosed that the Federal Government was making further efforts to get IPOB rightfully designated as a terrorist organization.
The statement reads partly: “In the South-East, IPOB – which the Economist rightly describes as “delusional” – the arrest and present trial of the terrorist leader of the group is the beginning of its demise.
“The President’s administration is redoubling efforts to have IPOB rightfully designated as a terrorist group by our allies outside of Nigeria – an act which will collapse their ability to transact gains from crime and extortion in foreign currencies.
“It is important to remind The Economist and the global media that this group’s aggression and widespread presence on social media does not reflect their public support, for which they have none: all elected governors, all elected politicians, and all elected state assemblies in the South-East – which IPOB claim to be part of their fantasy kingdom – reject them completely.”
Kanu and IPOB have been at the forefront, agitating for the break up of Nigeria.
He was, however, arrested in July 2021 in Kenya and was repatriated to Nigeria to continue his trial.
Last week, the Nigerian government re-arraigned him before Justice Binta Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court.
