Anthony Iwuoma
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has expressed joy over the re-arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Speaking to BBC Pidgin, the governor also expressed his preference to bandits and terrorists whom he said unlike IPOB, which has a centralised leadership structure, are not calling for the break up of Nigeria but are just going about their criminal activities like a business.
He said: “I was very happy (when Nnamdi Kanu was arrested) because, first he jumped bail, jeopardising his sureties.
“Secondly, a person that challenges the sovereignty and the authority of a state and incites violence; he refers to his own country as a zoo.
“This should be a message to all these separatists challenging the authority of the Nigerian State to be very careful.”
The governor further said he would not want the government to deal swiftly with bandits, saying it was like comparing oranges with apple.
According to him: “Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of IPOB, a proscribed organisation. He is identifiable, in constant communication and everyone knows where he is.
“Let’s take Boko Haram for instance. Shekau was in hiding and for the past 10 years and the military had been waging a war to get him.
“It is not like Shekau was in Saudi Arabia, sitting in one place, tweeting about the break up of Nigeria or asking Boko Haram to go and kill Helen and Nasir el-Rufai.
“Nnamdi Kanu is in one place while Shekau is waging guerrilla warfare. The insurgency is still going on and the Federal Government is not giving up.
“Regarding bandits, they are not centralised under one leadership. Who is the head of the bandits? Who is the equivalent of NNnamdiKanu with banditry?
“Bandits are just collections of independent criminals. It is a business for them. It is not a case of Nigeria must break up.
“I want to challenge anyone to tell me the central leader of bandits in the same position as Kanu.”