Nnamdi Kanu: Atiku calls for political resolution over IPOB leader’s ordeal

Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has
urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to consider a political resolution concerning detained Nnamdi Kanu as a step towards healing the South-East geopolitical zone.
Kanu who is facing treasonable offence trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja since June 2021 when he was forcibly returned to Nigeria from Kenya.
Speaking on the matter, Atiku said that exploring a diplomatic resolution will help diffuse the security situation in the region”.
He also asserted that a political resolve “will be a win-win for all parties”. The 77-year-old’s comment comes against the backdrop of the brutal killing of five soldiers in Abia state on Thursday, May 30, by gunmen believed to have allegiance to Kanu’s controversial separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement he personally signed, Atiku said
“The violence that led to the killing of soldiers and civilians in Abia state on Thursday stands condemned. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who may have lost a loved one. May their souls rest in peace. But even more profound is the impact of Thursday’s sit-at-home in the South-East region of our country on students writing WAEC examinations.
“The veil of the so-called unknown gun men hiding under cover to unleash death and mayhem must be lifted to ensure that criminal elements are separated from legitimate agitators.”
The Presidential hopeful concluded: “To this end, without prejudice to the ongoing legal processes, I think the time has come to explore a political resolution to the Nnamdi Kanu and other associated issues. I believe that this will diffuse the compressor cooker situation in the region. It will be a win-win for all parties.”