BIAFRA: I am ready to negotiate with FG- Kanu

ABUJA—Detained  leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday, said he was ready to negotiate with the Federal Government to regain his freedom from Kuje Prison. Kanu who was hitherto the Director of Radio Biafra and Television,  has been in detention since October 14, 2015, when he was arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom.

He is answering to a six-count treason charge alongside two other pro-Biafra agitators, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu. Trial Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on January 20, ordered that the defendants should be remanded in prison  custody, pending the determination of the case against them. Meanwhile, briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Kanu, through his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, denied having any links with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND. The IPOB leader said he never gave MEND the nod to negotiate with the federal government for his release from detention. “In the past few days, the media was awash with news on negotiation going on between the Federal Government and the members of MEND, where our client’s name (Nna-mdi Kanu) conspi-cuously featured. “It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any form of relationship with the members of MEND. “As such, MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation, going on between MEND and the Federal Govern-ment. “The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood being peddled by MEND. Nnamdi Kanu does not know them! “However, Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to political solution, in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal. Kanu welcomes genuine political solution to this case. “The FG does not need to sponsor their repre-sentatives to travel to far away Bayelsa State or the creeks of Niger Delta region, in order to reach Nnamdi Kanu. They know where they kept him, which is easily accessible to them.