President Buhari says Kanu abused his administration
Any thoughts of the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, getting a presidential pardon has been shut down by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The president made this known in a recent interview with Channels TV, which aired on Wednesday, January 5.
According to him, Kanu must answer for his actions over the years, especially when he was out of the country.
The president's comment comes after he had said in an interview in November 2021 that he will consider the request of some leaders from the South East Region to release Kanu, who is facing treason charges brought against him by the Nigerian government.
Accusing Kanu of abusing his administration while in Europe "as if he was not a Nigerian", the president said he wouldn't be interfering in judicial responsibilities.
He said, "Nigerians know that I don't interfere with the judiciary.
"Let him be listened to... For those who are saying that we should release him, no, we cannot release him.
"There is a possibility of political solution; if people behave themselves, all well and good, but you can't go to a foreign country and keep on sending incorrect economic and security problem against your country and thinking that you will never have to account for what you have been doing. Let him account for what he has been doing.
"There is one institution that I wouldn't dare interfere with – that is the judiciary.
"Kanu's case is with the judiciary, but what I wonder is when Kanu was safely in Europe abusing this administration and mentioning too many things, I never thought really he wants to voluntarily come and defend himself on the accusations.
"So, we are giving him an opportunity to defend himself in our system, not to be abusing us from Europe as if he was not a Nigerian. Let him come here to us and then criticise us here."
The president also noted that he doesn't believe Nigerians really want the country to disintegrate as we are better off together. Buhari claimed that Nigerians make noise about separation because they want better things.