Terrorism: Nnamdi Kanu On Stop-List Of Countries, Says Malami

By Uche Mbah

The Federal Government has, perhaps, given an inkling into why Kenya cooperated with it in the extradition of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria.

Kanu was re-arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021.

Addressing a Press Conference in Abuja on Friday, October 22, a day after Kanu was arraigned in Court to face the charges against him including terrorism and treasonable felony, the  Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Salami, SAN, disclosed that a number of countries, seeing the dangers of Kanu’s activities, had since placed him on Stop List. He said such countries have also banned the activities of IPOB in their countries.

“There are some friendly countries which, recognising the status of IPOB as a terrorist organisation have either banned the activities of IPOB or placed Kanu on Stop List”, Malami said.

Giving a run down of the alleged activities of Kanu, Malami also accused IPOB of hiding under the October 2020 #EndSARS protest to wreak havoc on the Southern part of the Country,  especially, including the destruction and looting of the Palace of the Oba of Lagos and destruction of the  vehicles owned by Lagos Government for transportation.

But critics dismiss, as media trial, Malami’s allegations, especially after the Court appearance of Nnamdi Kanu, where Journalists and many interested parties, including Lawyers and an Ohanaeze Ndigbo Delegation, were barred from entering the Court room to watch proceedings.

Kanu had, in Court, while pleading not guilty,  dismissed the allegations against him on the grounds that the Federal High Court Abuja has no jurisdiction to try him, laying down arguments to support his claim. He said the  allegations against him were not committed on Nigerian soil, but in the United Kingdom, which citizen he, also, is.

Malami, while briefing journalists Friday also accused some state actors of aiding Kanu after he allegedly jumped bail by escaping from the country.

“We have also established that Kanu is not alone in his subversive activities. He has accomplices in Nigeria and abroad, individuals and groups as well as state and non-state actors who are aiding and facilitating his campaign against the people and state of Nigeria.

“Some of the state actors aided Kanu, even as a fugitive, in his destructive mission, ignoring the terrorist nature of his activities.

“We call on these countries to desist from aiding subversive acts by Kanu and IPOB against the state of Nigeria and its people”, he said.