Former President Muhammadu Buhari contemplated sponsoring the assassination of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but ultimately opted for his arrest and return to Nigeria, a spokesperson for the Buhari regime, Femi Adesina claims in a jaw-dropping revelation.
In his newly published book, “Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023),” Adesina disclosed that Buhari made this revelation during a meeting with a delegation of Igbos led by Chief Mbazulike Ameachi.
The president expressed that allowing Kanu to make his case in court would be a favor, and the government refrained from mobilizing to eliminate him abroad.
“Let him make his case in court instead of giving a terrible impression of the country from outside. I feel it is a favour to give him (Mr Kanu) that opportunity. Government could have mobilised to eliminate him where he was, but we did not do that,” Buhari reportedly told the delegation.
Despite acknowledging the difficulty of granting the request for clemency, Buhari considered it and said, “You have made an extremely difficult demand on me as the leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious. In the last six years, nobody will say I have confronted the judiciary. We are developing a country, and we have to go through the pains,” he added.
Nnamdi Kanu, who was repatriated to Nigeria on July 1, faced murky circumstances surrounding his capture, with the Kenyan government denying involvement.
His counsel claims he was abducted from Nairobi, presenting evidence of his presence in Kenya and his arrest at the airport.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld the treasonable charge against Kanu in December 2023, and he has been in detention since 2021.
