A military administrator of Kaduna from I985 to 1988 under the Ibrahim Babangida regime, Abubakar Umar, has stated the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is not a common criminal as he is being described by the government – warning the Federal against re-arresting him.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Umar, who is the chairman of the Movement for Unity and Progress, said the plan to revoke Kanu’s bail was dangerous and politically unwise.

Key excerpts:

It is both dangerous and politically unwise to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu. He is a bitter young man fighting for a fairer deal for his Igbo kinsmen.
His seeming militant approach is the result of the strong arm tactics with which the federal government deals with him.
…Many Igbo genuinely feel marginalised since they belong to the category of those who gave Mr President only 5 percent of their votes and appeared to have fallen out of his favour.
On Buhari’s insistence on One Nigeria… it does not take into account the mood of the nation as indicated by the growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and many other similar demands.
It would be a tragic mistake to treat Kanu and his supporters as common criminals because it was evident that they are fighting a cause millions of people consider as legitimate.