Abia police commissioner promises to arrest Nnamdi Kanu whenever he sets foot in the state

ABIA State police commissioner Ene Okon has vowed to arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) whenever he ever returns and hand him over to the courts to face trial for jumping bail and other charges he faces.

In October last year, Mr Kanu appeared praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem after fleeing from Nigeria in November 2017 when he jumped bail. His sudden appearance created a lot of excitement among his followers campaigning for secession from Nigeria, as he was facing several charges including treason and faced a lengthy jail term if found guilty.

Since November 2017, Mr Kanu has been on the run after he was granted bail by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja. He slipped out of Nigeria shortly before men of the Nigerian Army invaded his residence in Afaraukwu in Abia State few years ago and appears to be spending his time between Europe and Israel these days.

Mr Okon has promised, however, that if Mr Kanu steps into the state he would be apprehended and handed over the court for his trial. In addition, the police commissioner also rubbished Mr Kanu’s style of struggle for secession, stressing that the Ipob leader was carrying out hard, subversive tendencies.

"Nelson Mandela fought apartheid, which apartheid is Nnamdi Kanu fighting in Nigeria? There are no bases for comparing what happened in India and South Africa with what Nnamdi Kanu is doing.

"Mandela fought against apartheid but Kanu is carrying out hard, subversive tendencies. He is already a wanted man, you and I know how he escaped, he is standing trial already, so, any time he steps in here and he is seen, he has to be arrested and handed over to the court to face his trial," Mr Okon added.