The government proposed to speak with Nnamdi Kanu, but he rejected dialogue - Garba Shehu (Read what he said)

Unknown   September 21, 2017   News   Comment  

- The presidency has backed the military over the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organization

- Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president however lamented how the leader of IPOB refused to dialogue with relevant politicians

- He said IPOB was clearly not interested in dialogue

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the President Buhari on media and publicity has lamented how Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra refused to heed dialogue calls extended to him by prominent politicians.

The senior special assistant to the president said this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, September 21.

Shehu insisted that IPOB was a terrorists organization because the profile of the group fits that of terrorists.

He said: “We looked at this organisation, we analysed it, and it fits the description of a terrorist organization. If it fits the description of a terrorist organization, then it is a terrorist organization,” he added.

“That yes, it fits in and as Americans say, ‘If it walks like a duck, it moves like a duck, it looks like a duck, then it is a duck.’

“Therefore, that is it. That is their own description of it. So, the processes we are bound to follow since they are fully aware of the fact that from the point of view of the law, they cannot do what the law does not empower them to do.”

Going further, Shehu claimed that: “IPOB itself has clearly indicated that they are not interested in dialogue. You know that in the run-up of these processes, the governors of the states in the region had put up a forum, IPOB said, ‘No, thank you, we are not interested.’

“The Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria set up a delegation and they said, ‘IPOB we want to speak to you,’ and they said, ‘no, thank you.’”

“Initially yes, it is clear that the leader had himself shut everyone out of the whole process,” he lamented.

This was said to have followed an order which was filed by the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, September 20.