Ipob appears to offer Buhari olive branch by appealing with him to release Nnamdi Kanu

SECESSIONIST group the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) appears to have extended an olive branch to President Muhammadu Buhari by urging him to consider dropping all charges against their leader Nnamdi Kanu in exchange for an end to hostilities.

Highly controversial, Mr Kanu has been campaigning for the recreation of the independent republic of Biafra which broke away from Nigeria between July 1967 and January 1970 during the civil war. His campaign, which has led to the phenomenal growth of Ipob, has set him at odds with the Nigerian government who him arrested and put on trial for treason.

While the case was still pending, Mr Kanu was granted bail in April 2017 on health grounds but skipped his bail after flouting the conditions given to him by the court and fled Nigeria. However, in a dramatic development in June last year, Mr Kanu was abducted in Kenya in a commando operation carried out by Nigerian security operatives  and flown to Nigeria where his trial has resumed.

Over the last six months, Mr Kanu's trial has polarised the nation, with Igbo groups calling for his immediate release and the dropping of all charges against him as part of a rapprochement process. President Buhari has come under a lot of pressure lately to accede to the demands of these Igbo groups but northern hardliners are also pressing him not to give ground.

Last week, President Buhari dismissed suggestions that he should grant a presidential amnesty to Mr Kanu, saying it would be tantamount to him interfering with the judicial process. Responding to this, Ipob said the president was about to make a mistake capable of adversely affecting Nigeria.

Ipob spokesman Emma Powerful, accused those he referred to as foreign-based saboteurs  and enemies of his association's struggle as being responsible for President Buhari’s change of mind. He urged President Buhari not to allow himself to be deceived by sacked members of the group peddling fake information about its security outfit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), for pecuniary interests.

Mr Powerful added:  “Our attention has been drawn to a comment by President Muhammadu Buhari that he will not release our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We know that this position by Buhari after he had earlier promised a delegation of Igbo leaders that he would consider their appeal to consider a political solution for Kanu, was not unconnected with the visit by some foreign-based traitors and enemies of our struggle.

“Our intelligence captured what transpired in a meeting between these saboteurs and their host in Aso Rock. In the meeting,  the saboteurs and traitors concluded with the presidency that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should not be released, claiming erroneously that Ipob and ESN have been defeated, which is lies."