By James Orji
President Muhammadu Buhari seems to be succeeding in his quest to silent separatist elements in the country following the arrest of Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba Nation activist and Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
After almost one month of intense search, the Nigerian security officials and their Beninois counterparts, finally caught up with Igboho who has been on the run since July 1, 2021 when operatives of the DSS attacked his Soka, Ibadan, Oyo state residence.
Some of his men were killed during the midnight raid, as DSS claimed that it captured illegal arms and weapons in the operation that lasted almost three hours. The activist said the weapons were planted to nail him.
Following his arrest, the magazine learnt that the federal government has reached out to the Benin Republic government on how to repatriate the activist to the country.
Pelumi Olajemgbesi, counsel to Igboho said on Tuesday that the activist will be transferred to the country soon. It was also learnt that the Buhari administration will activate the Repatriation Treaty with the nation’s neighbour to bring the activist back into Nigeria to face trial for illegal possession of arms and treason, analyst said.
The administration had earlier charged the IPOB leader on 11-count charge following his arrest in Kenya on June 30 by interpol in Kenya.
According to the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, the IPOB leader “is facing an 11-count charge of treason, treasonable felony, terrorism and illegal possession of firearms, among others.”
Kanu who has been charged before a federal high court in Abuja, according to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has more questions to answer after he jumped bail in 2015.
Malami said “He has, upon jumping bail, been accused of engaging in subversive activities that include inciting violence through television, radio and online broadcasts against Nigeria and Nigerian State and institutions.
“Kanu was also accused of instigating violence especially in the Southeastern Nigeria that resulted in the loss of lives and property of civilians, military, para military, police forces and destruction of civil institutions and symbols of authorities”, Malami said.
Speaking on a television interview on June 10, President Buhari said his government will no longer handle agitators with kid gloves, warning that his government will treat “those misbehaving” in “the language they understand,”.
Referencing Kanu’s IPOB and others calling for the break up of the country Buhari said his government was prepared to deal with agitators the same way the Nigerian military prosecuted the Civil war.
According to him “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,’’.
“What it means for the IPOB is that I will go after them through the military and police and rid them of their criminal tendencies. I have no regret whatsoever,” Buhari said.
Meanwhile, some prominent Nigerians, including Nobel Laurette Professor Wole Soyinka have advised the federal government to be cautious in dealing with agitators in order not to fuel more crisis in the country.
