Israeli Government denies presence of Nnamdi Kanu in Jerusalem; but confirmation by PDP, IPOB, Kanu’s family punctures denial
*Kanu’s resurfacing pre-arranged by DSS —Uwazuruike
*As coalition mobilizes 1m youths to receive IPOB leader
*DSS dismisses report it aided Kanu ‘s escape as fake, mischievous
One of them smelled foul play suspecting that Israel coming out with such huge denial after some PDP, IPOB and family members of Kanu had confirmed that he spoke with them from Jerusalem smacks of a foreign conspiracy to use the terrorist group leader to destabilize Nigeria and so advise that the government must stand up to the challenge before it materializes.
The Israeli government, on Monday, said there was no evidence of the appearance of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Nnamdi Kanu in Israel.
The Israeli government said the pictures and videos showing Nnamdi Kanu praying in Israel could be old.
The Israel’s suggestion of possible old pictures and videos is however punctured by earlier confirmation by younger brother the terrorist group’s leader, Emmanuel Kanu, IPOB spokesman, Emmanuel Powerful, and some opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain particularly Femi Fani-Kayode, who confirmed that they spoke with Nnamdi Kanu on the telephone from Jerusalem.
It then leaves the onus to stand to its responsibility as a sovereign nation and Africa’s most powerful country for Nigeria to look deeper into the seeing conspiracy that appears in the Israeli government’s statement. Some watchers of event in Nigeria noted in chats with The DEFENDER.
One of them smelled foul play suspecting that Israel coming out with such huge denial after some PDP, IPOB and family members of Kanu had confirmed that he spoke with them from Jerusalem smacks of a foreign conspiracy to use the terrorist group leader to destabilize Nigeria and so advise that the government must stand up to the challenge before it materializes.
Speaking during an interaction with some African journalists in Jerusalem, the spokesman of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Nashon said there was no evidence that the leader of IPOB was in their country of recent.
“There are no details about his recent visit to this country yet,” Nashon said adding that the pictures and videos could be old ones.
Speaking on their relationship with Africa, Nashon said Israel had been misconstrued, adding that they were getting back to their old friends.
“Our relationship with Africa is extremely important,” he noted, insisting that the continent stands to benefit more from Israel.
“Israel is a peaceful nation that believes in the process of the world at this changing times,” Emmanuel disclosed, adding that they have different religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam that live peacefully with one another.
“Jerusalem is one of the great cities in the world. We are considering a lot of networks with Africa and African journalists will get direct contact with Israel journalists so that you don’t need to take news from agencies,” Nashon said.
Nwazuruike alleges DSS on Kanu’s resurfacing, as lawyer asks questions
The DEFENDER gathered that some Igbo leaders were playing hide and seek in the matter of the IPOB leader instead for them to come straight and call a spade its true name, “spade”.
A source in Lagos, apparently baffled by the attitude of the likes of Ralph Uwazuruike and Kanu’s lawyers, who after having wrongfully alleged the Army over the whereabouts of the terrorist group’s leader, are now said to be finding escape route to give themselves a soft landing pushing trying to again further implicate another government agency, the Department of State Services (DSS) in the escape of the man said to have jumped bail to evade justice over his ongoing treason trials.
In a related development, the people of South East have been advised to treat the touted disappearance and resurfacing of Kanu, as “a non-issue because it was carefully pre-arranged by the Department of State Services, DSS.”
Leader of Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, reportedly stated this Monday, at a press conference in Owerri, reacting to Kanu’s reappearance in Isreal and broadcast.
“Not many of his ardent followers truly know that Kanu is not sincerely working for the independence of Biafra. His coming to Nigeria, his arrest, detention, trial, release on bail and his alleged disappearance and resurfacing, were all prearranged by the DSS”, Uwazuruike said.
It was the considered opinion of the BIM leader that if Nnamdi Kanu was sincere, he should have disclosed how he was spirited away from his Afara Ukwu country home, when the soldiers struck.
“How did he disappear from his country home? How did he survive the onslaught even when he claimed that about 28 people were killed during the military operation in his home? How did he leave Nigeria and what document did he use to traverse all the nations before arriving Israel? We couldn’t have forgotten so soon that the DSS seized all his travel documents”, Uwazuruike asked.
After giving a graphic account of the number of times he was arrested, detained and tried in court, Uwazuruike also reasoned that “a freedom fighter donates his life for the struggle he believes in.
“This is not the case with Nnamdi Kanu. Running away from the struggle means that he is a fake freedom fighter. This young man does not consult anybody and he has no adviser,” Uwazuruike said.
Coalition mobilises 1m youths to receive Kanu back to Nigeria
Meantime, a coalition of Igbo youth groups including Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide Monday stated that it was mobilising one million Igbo youths across the South East geopolitical zone to herald the return of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu back to the country.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki by Mazi Alex Okemiri, National President, World Igbo Youth Congress; Dr Helen Ogbonnaya, National Leader, South East Women Professionals and Mr Chidera Utucha President, Igbo Students Forum, the groups stressed that they were ready to support every purpose-driven leadership within the zone and beyond.
DSS dismisses report it aided Nnamdi Kanu ‘s escape as fake, mischievous
In the meantime, the DSS in a statement Monday night says it was mischievous to link it with the rumoured orchestrated escape of Kanu from the country.
It assured members of the Nigerian public that there was no truth in the report.
The DEFENDER reports that promoters of IPOB, while the Army Exercise Python Dance II in South East region of the country was ongoing, had claimed that whereabouts of Kanu became unknown following a military invasion of his Abba, Abia State home on 14th September 2017.
That occurred as date the self styled IPOB leader, whose bail from prison was granted on grounds of health, was approaching to be back in court.
One of the three sureties that facilitated the bail, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe as well as lawyers of IPOB backed by some notable politicians, had boasted that the Army would be the one to explain to court why it should not be held responsible for the disappearance of Kanu being that it happened the day its troops “invaded” his home in Abba and the situation so remained unattended until the IPOB leader resurfaced in far away Jerusalem last weekend.
In trying to explain why Nnamdi Kanu escaped, some reports have been going the round linking the DSS to how his escape was made possible.
But in a statement by Public Relations Officer of the Service, Mr. Peter Afunanya, which copy was sent to TheDEFENDER on Monday, the report was dismissed not only as fake, mischievous and defamatory but also as figment of imagination of its purveyors, whose stock in trade it is to peddle unfounded rumours, gossips and propaganda with a view to subverting the government, its key agencies and officials.
According to Afunanya, the secret agency is aware that some “unscrupulous elements are keen on exploiting the situation to cause trouble thereby disrupting the forthcoming general elections in the country.
It however sounded its stern warning to such people to know that it would not fold its arms and watch them achieve their aims.
The statement read in details:
“The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the malicious report suggesting that five (5) of its personnel allegedly aided Nnamdi KANU, the self acclaimed leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to escape his abode in Umuahia, Abia State on 14th September, 2017.
“The Service wishes to state that the news is fake, mischievous and defamatory. It is nothing but a figment of the imagination of the originators. The public should, by now, have noted the antics of KANU, IPOB and their collaborators whose stock in trade is to peddle unfounded rumours, gossips and propaganda aimed at subverting the government, its key agencies and Officials.
“The DSS is aware that some unscrupulous elements are keen on exploiting the situation to constitute a nuisance to the freedoms of all persons as guaranteed in the Constitution and as well disrupt the forthcoming general elections. The DSS will not idly standby and watch these undesirable elements achieve their aims.
“It is to be further emphasized that the indissolubility, unity and indivisibility of our beloved country is sacred. Obstructive planners against the unity of Nigeria should, therefore, know that no individual(s) or group(s) can be bigger than this country.
“The DSS uses this medium to reassure residents of their safety and its commitment to provide the enabling environment for peace and stability in the country.”
In the meantime, some concerned Nigerians in solidarity with the DSS, have advised sponsors of such fake news apparently intended to discredit the Service to look else as, according to them, this has failed.
One of the, who spoke from the Nnewi, Anambra State, said “We and Yarima Setting led Arewa group never hid our voices about plots by sponsors of Kanu to ensure his escape to evade justice after he was released on bail.
“The complexity of the issue was in the politicisation by some known politicians but we have confidence in the ability of DSS and other security agents particularly the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) to get to the roots of all of these and bring Kanu back to justice that he evaded.”
Some other citizens however called on the DSS to work with the police with a view to making the sureties produce the runaway terrorist group leader as, according to them, his resurface, considering sign of conspiracy by some opposition politicians, looks threatening to the peace of the nation particularly coming in less than five months to the general elections.
The DSS was also advised to see the utterances in connection with Kanu by those politicians as issues to be taken seriously and act before they cause havoc by same.
