I will stand surety for Nnamdi Kanu again: Abaribe

Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority leader says he will stand surety again for the detained leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Abaribe who represents Abia South Senatorial District at the red chamber said he won’t hesitate to stand again as surety for the seccessionist whom the court revoked his bail when he fled the country.

The lawmaker said the IPOB leader did not betray his trust by leaving the country but ran for his dear life when personnel of the Nigerian Army raided his Afaraukwu home killing dozens in the process.

Mr Kanu who is being tried on treasonable charges was recently extradited back to the nation from Kenya where his brother claimed he was picked up from.

When he was granted bail in 2017 one of his bail conditions was that he should not be seen in a gathering of more than 10 persons, a directive he did not adhere to but critics have faulted the military operation saying only the court could determine if he flouted the bail conditions or not.

“He’s our son. He’s from our state (Abia),” Mr Abaribe said on Wednesday while featuring on TVC’s Journalist Hangout. “He (Kanu) said it himself that he ran for his dear life.

“There is a difference between jumping bail and escaping for your life. I went back to court and deposed that on the basis of the principle of ‘last seen’, that the last people seen with him were soldiers of the Nigerian army who were invading his father’s residence.

“The judge ultimately ruled that she was revoking bail and issued a warrant of arrest, thereby removing us from the responsibility of providing him. A lot of people did not understand,” the lawmaker added.