Nnamdi Kanu Placed Under House Arrest As Four IPOB Members Killed

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been placed under house arrest by men of the Nigerian army, his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor says.

Soldiers surrounded Kanu’s residence in Afara – Umuahia, Abia state on Tuesday, two days after clashing with his supporters and allegedly injuring seven of them.

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Ejiofor, who released a statement shortly after the incident said he received a distress call from his client, adding that further efforts to establish contact with him failed.

He accused the soldiers, who he said are acting on the orders of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, of killing four IPOB members during the incident.

“Just to notify the world that my client’s (Nnamdi Kanu) house is presently under siege by the trigger-happy soldiers acting under the direct instruction of chief of army staff,” the statement read.

“He has been placed under house arrest at the moment while shooting sporadically into the air. Casualties are being counted as the unprovoked assault progresses. Some IPOB members have just been killed at least four people.

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“They drove in in their thousands to arrest and maim him. I just got a distress call from him now. Further efforts to establish contact with him have remained unsuccessful.

“As it stands now, I can’t confirm whether he is dead or alive.”

Ejiofor further accused the federal government of trying to eliminate Kanu with the newly launched ‘Operation Python Dance,’ by the Nigerian military in the south-east.

The operation as declared by the Chief of Army Staff, is intended to check secessionist activities within the region, amongst other forms of criminal activities.

“It (the exercise) is yielding the desired result to the presidency, having launched a manhunt for my client and unarmed members if Indigenous People of Biafra,” he added.

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“Let the world know that the federal government has practically abandoned their case in court in search of a brute route to eliminate my client.

“As I type this statement, his residence has been cordoned off by the military, majority of whom are of Fulani extraction.

“The world should hold Buhari-led federal government responsible if anything untoward happens to Nnamdi Kanu. The situation is very tense at the moment.”

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