Uche Amunike.
Governor Nyesom Wike of River State has made his position clear on the re-arrest of the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government.
During an interview on Arise TV, Wike called on the Buhari-led government to arrest people causing unrest in the country like bandits and Miyetti Allah the same way he arrested Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu was arrested last weekend and arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday and eventually remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.
He called on the government to apply the same zeal that was used in apprehending Kanu to go after all the bandits that have been kidnapping, raping and killing innocent Nigerians.
He admitted that even though he wasn’t in support of Nnamdi Kanu’s ideals, the authorities must not punish him just because he is from a particular zone in the country.
‘Let’s not make a hullabaloo about the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu. I don’t believe in his principles. I’ve come out, and I’ve said that you cannot annex my state to be part of your own. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll not allow the law to take its cause.’
‘The same way that you have arrested Nnamdi Kanu should also be the same way that all others who you have known should be brought to book to face the wrath of the law’.
‘You cannot discriminate. You cannot say because Nnamdi Kanu is from a particular area, let us do this. The same principle must be applied to the bandits, Miyetti Allah and others.’
The Federal government on their part, promised that they will not go beyond the ambit of the law in handling the case of Kanu.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during a press conference in Lagos, same Thursday affirmed that the government will ensure that Kanu will get a fair trial, just as individuals and various groups have been demanding.
The Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom has also challenged the federal government to arrest members of armed fulani groups who attack farming communities in parts of the country.
Speaking in a statement on same Thursday, he maintained that the federal government’s fight against terrorism and other related crimes will be seen to be unbiased if they equally apprehend the armed herders like they apprehended Nnamdi Kanu.
He was of the opinion that justice would be done if Buhari called for the arrest of Miyetti Allah for continually inflicting pains on Nigerians through sustained attacks.
He referred to the herdsmen occupying the forests and causing mayhem in the country and demanded that they are also brought to book, wondering why no effort has been made to bring them to justice.
His words: ‘Herders armed with sophisticated weapons attack and sometimes kill Livestock Guards and other security agents, and this is a situation which deserves a more decisive approach,’ he said.
He reaffirmed that the day the Federal government decides to end insecurity, the menace will be a thing of the past in the country.
