The leader
of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi
Kanu, has left Kuje prison in Abuja after spending close to two years of
detention by the Nigerian government. A prison source told GIS left the prison
yard a few minutes ago after fulfilling his bail conditions, his co-defendants
in a treason trial remained in detention.
Earlier this
week, a Federal High Court in Abuja, citing concerns about Mr. Kanu’s health,
granted bail to the separatist agitator on stringent conditions.
Three
sources told GIS that Mr. Kanu's immediate release followed a series of
negotiations between a few politicians and activists from the Igbo-dominated
southeast geopolitical zone and members of President Muhammadu Buhari's
government. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the sources, a close
associate of Mr. Buhari’s administration, disclosed that one of the central
concerns of the negotiations was to find ways of de-escalating the political
tension that has arisen due to renewed agitation by pro-Biafra separatists led
by Mr. Kanu and others.
A prison
source revealed that Kuje prison authorities released Mr. Kanu's a few minutes ago adding that the paperwork
to realize the separatist leader’s release was finalized by Mr. Kanu’s lawyers
and government officials.
According to
the prison source, Mr. Kanu, whose fiery rhetoric included describing Nigeria
as a zoo and threatening to amass weapons with which to achieve Biafran
secession, was celebrated by fellow detainees and prisoners at Kuje who had one
favor or another to ask him once he was released from prolonged detention.
Mr. Kanu,
who has gained greater popularity during his detention, is expected to meet
with several politicians and activists to discuss the future of his plans to
achieve the secession of Biafra, a swathe of Nigeria’s southeastern territory
that is predominantly home to the Igbo. As part of his bail conditions, Mr.
Kanu has been barred from granting press interviews or being in a gathering of
more than 10 people.
One of our
sources said he was confident that Mr. Kanu left Kuje prison “today, once his
bail papers are processed.”
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