7 Facts to Know About IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu arrest

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The self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, has finally been arrested years after jumping bail and fleeing from Nigeria.Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, made this known at a press conference on Tuesday, June 29. According to Malami, the interception of Kanu was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian intelligence and security services.

Here are 7 facts about his arrest below:

  1. The self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed secessionist was intercepted on Sunday, June 27, outside Nigeria.
  2. The arrest followed a collaborative effort between security agencies in Nigeria and Interpol.

  3. Though the location of his arrest is unknown, he was brought back to the country on Sunday, June 27, in order to continue facing trial after disappearing while on bail.

  4. News about Kanu’s arrest was made public on Tuesday, June 29, by Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

  5. The proscribed leader who was first arrested on October 14, 2015, is facing an 11 count charge bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory matter, illegal possession of firearms, and improper importation of goods, among others.

  6. Kanu was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja on health grounds but fled the country afterward.

  7. In 2019 a judge at the Federal High Court, Abuja revoked Kanu’s bail and ordered his arrest over his failure to attend hearings nearly two years after his release on bail.

 

Earlier, Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of information and culture, said Kanu has been using the Twitter platform to destabilise Nigeria.

The minister told BBC News Africa during an interview on Monday, June 7, that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra has adopted Twitter as his means of propagating anti-Nigerian sentiments. He said the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence prompted the federal government to suspend the operations of the platform in the country.