IPOB: Sigh of relief as Police show strength, push more men to South East, South South

*Unconfirmed report says Nnamdi Kanu “placed under security watch”

“We are not leaving anything to chance; we are to ensure there is law and order and any pronouncement from the court would be strictly enforced. We are watching the situation closely. We have made enough deployments and we are going to act appropriately,” Force PROP said.  In support of the Nigerian Police, however, many Nigerians have made their voices counted telling the foremost security agency to go ahead and arrest Nnamdi Kanu assuring the Force that heavens will not fall.

The new deployment of more personnel to strengthen the men on ground by the Nigerian Police to forestall breakdown of law and order in the South East region of the country has been applauded by Nigerians, who described the development as long overdue.

Some of the people who spoke on the police deployment said it was now that they knew that Nigerian security community had not succumbed to criminals that activities of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) particularly the excesses of his leader, Nnamdi Kanu stand for.

A neurology doctor in Bauchi, Dr. Nura Alkali had on August 31 posted on his Facebook wall a reminder to Nigerians on what atrocities of Nnamdi Kanu were before they started forgetting since they some people including a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (Rtd) started warning President Muhammadu Buhari against re-arresting the Igbo “law breaker”.

Dr. Alkali, probably was one of concerned Nigerians, embittered that Kanu could go to the extent of building his own Army and further developed what he called “Biafra Secret Service BSS” as a counter to the Nigeria-owned custodian of national secret that the Department for State Service (DSS) stand for without anything being done.

He said, “Before we forget, here are some of the atrocities which the fraudster calling himself Nnamdi Kanu has committed against Nigeria.

“At a 2015 Igbo Congress in California, Kanu openly solicited funds to buy weapons for war against Nigeria. That video is still on YouTube. Kanu also conspired with telecom workers to trespass on MTN masts and mount transmitters for a pirate radio station. Radio Biafra’s broadcasts included fake speeches by “PMB” threatening genocide against Igbos, and phone-in programs where gullible listeners threatened retaliation against the Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba.

“After his arrest by the DSS and a subsequent bail, Kanu flouted all his bail conditions and held public rallies to threaten mayhem against Nigeria yet again. He has vowed to prevent the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. And he has vowed to fight for the secession of not only the five SE states from Nigeria, but also Cross-River, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Benue and Kogi states.

“I have no problem with SE governors meeting with Kanu to talk sense into him, but let those governors know that Nigeria is a sovereign state and no state anywhere in the world will fold its arms and allow a fraudster and his legion of jobless youths threaten war, genocide and secession. So, the Attorney-General was right to seek a vacation of Kanu’s bail for his threat to public peace. It is belated, but late is better than never.

“As for Col. Dangiwa Umar (Rtd) and others warning against Kanu’s arrest, my advice to them is to emigrate to Somalia where they can enjoy the chaos that they so much cherish. But in Nigeria, trouble-makers like El-Zazzaky, Shekau and Kanu will always have no breathing space.”

The police deployment to now check the excesses of the man accused of having persistently and proudly, too, committed treason against Nigerian State in the South East was coming barely three days after the Dr. Alkali’s reminder but it was not clear whether the reminder was part of the consideration for the move by the Police.

It was not certain whether Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had been placed under surveillance as reported in a particular print media, the Police High Command however reportedly confirmed the deployment of more personnel as claimed in the report.

The report said the deployment was to prevent Kanu from fleeing the country in an event the court revokes his bail and order his re-arrest.

Aside Mobile Police Force operatives that had been deployed, counter-Terrorism unit, the Intelligence unit and other conventional policemen, who would work with the state commands in the South-East and South-South zones have also been increased.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, had also been placed on surveillance to prevent him from fleeing the country if the court revokes his bail and order his re-arrest for allegedly flouting his bail conditions.

The Federal Government had last week asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted to Kanu, who is being prosecuted along with others on treasonable felony charges.

The government accused the IPOB leader of flouting his bail conditions and filed an application asking the court to revoke his bail and direct security agencies to re-arrest him.

The prosecution had said that instead of using the opportunity of his bail to attend to his health needs, Kanu had gone ahead to inaugurate a security outfit, known as Biafra Security Service. The prosecution said this constituted a threat to national security.

Reacting to the government’s move earlier, Kanu had threatened that anyone who tried to arrest him would die.

He has also vowed that the November 18 governorship election in Anambra state would not hold if the Federal Government fails to conduct a referendum on Biafra, even as the IPOB leader and his Biafra Secret Service (BSS) also threatened to “burn down Nigeria” should Kanu be re-arrested.

But the undaunted Nigerian Police has said the threat by Kanu made them to increase the strength of their personnel in the South-east and by extension in the South- south zones to tackle any breach of peace.

The increase is reportedly proactive measure on any threat to peace that may arise from the activities of Biafran agitators ahead of the Anambra governorship election.

Aside mobile police force operatives that had been deployed, counter-terrorism unit, the intelligence unit and other conventional policemen, who would work with the state commands in the south-east and south-south zones have also been increased.

Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Jimoh Moshood, confirmed that the police had deployed more riot policemen in the south-east and south-south zones to avert a breach of security and maintain law and order.

But he did not confirm if Kanu was under surveillance to prevent him from fleeing the country should the court rule in favour of the government.

“We have made additional deployments, particularly in Anambra State, because of the upcoming governorship election and also to other south-east and south-south states to ensure that IPOB did not actualise its threat of stopping the election,” he said.

“So also, any pronouncement from the court would be strictly enforced, irrespective of the persons involved. Nobody is above the law, so any court pronouncement would be enforced by the police.”

Moshood added that the force was closely monitoring the situation in the south-east.

He said the police would not leave anything to chance, while noting that any judicial order in respect of Kanu and other agitators would be enforced immediately.

“We are not leaving anything to chance; we are to ensure there is law and order and any pronouncement from the court would be strictly enforced. We are watching the situation closely. We have made enough deployments and we are going to act appropriately,” he said.

In support of the Nigerian Police, however, many Nigerians have made their voices counted telling the foremost security agency to go ahead and arrest Nnamdi Kanu assuring the Force that heavens will not fall.