
I’m happy Kanu was arrested, says El Rufai
Kaduna Governor says IPOB not the same as bandits
By Abdullahi Malik, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has expressed delight at the arrest of leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB) Mr Nnamdi Kanu.
He spoke in a BBC Pidgin in the early hours of Friday. Irohinoodua listened to the programme.
He said “I was very happy because, first he jumped bail, jeopardising his sureties. Secondly, a person that challenges the sovereignty and the authority of a state and incites violence; he refers to his own country as a zoo.
“This should be a message to all these separatists challenging the authority of the Nigerian State to be very careful,” El Rufai said.
He said Kanu was spreading hate and violence in order to cause the disintegration of Nigeria.
He said IPOB and Boko Haram are not the same. IPOB he said has a centralised leadership unlike Boko Haram and bandits.
El Rufai accused Kanu of calling for the dissolution of Nigeria.
On IPOB, bandits and Boko Haram, he said “No! No! No! No! People are comparing apples to oranges.Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of IPOB, a proscribed organisation. He is identifiable, in constant communication and everyone knows where he is.”
On Boko Haram he said: “Let’s take Boko Haram for instance. Shekau was in hiding and for the past 10 years and the military had been waging a war to get him.
“It is not like Shekau was in Saudi Arabia, sitting in one place, tweeting about the break up of Nigeria or asking Boko Haram to go and kill Helen and Nasir el-Rufai.
“Nnamdi Kanu is in one place while Shekau is waging guerrilla warfare. The insurgency is still going on and the Federal Government is not giving up.
In Bandits El Rufai said “Regarding bandits, they are not centralised under one leadership. Who is the head of the bandits? Who is the equivanlent of Nmandi Kanu with banditry?
“Bandits are just collections of independent criminals. It is a business for them. It is not a case of Nigeria must break up.
“I want to challenge anyone to tell me the central leader of bandits in the same position as Kanu.