Deputy speaker: Abaribe should be in prison for failing to produce Nnamdi Kanu

Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, says Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, should be imprisoned over his failure to produce Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Abaribe was one of Kanu’s sureties when he was released on bail in April 2017.

Since his release, Kanu has failed to turn up in court and his counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has said his whereabouts remains unknown.

Wase spoke on the issue during plenary session on Thursday while contributing to a motion of privilege sponsored by Sada Soli from Kaduna state.

Soli had accused Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the house, of disclosing a discussion held at an executive session of the green chamber to the national executive council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

During his contribution, Wase made reference to Ali Ndume, senator from Borno, who was once remanded in prison over his inability to produce Abdulrasheed Maina whom he stood surety for.

Maina is being prosecuted for alleged pension fraud.

The deputy speaker said since Abaribe could not produce Kanu, he should be made to face the same consequence that was meted on Ndume.

“I think Mr speaker we need to put the record straight. I watched the video clip very well, over and over again. And I think what the minority leader(Elumelu) did there is a complete misrepresentation of what happened at the executive session,” he said.

“What he(Elumelu) reported to the NEC meeting was that there was a very robust discussion about security which is the fact. But that in the cause of expression of members there was this desire and many are going to defect. There was never a time such expression was made.

“Mr speaker, it was a confidential matter. You know the meaning of executive session. He couldn’t have gone there to report that one. Mr speaker, I want to say that there is a kind of false platform that I am seeing because after that meeting sir, PDP caucus of both chambers went and had another discussion, a kind of build up on the security situation. And I think Mr speaker, we need to be serious.

“I see somebody as Abaribe who is leader in the senate championing that. Yes there are many flaws. He bailed Kanu Nnamdi and during the ENDSARS, we knew what happened. Kanu then was the one who was asking for the head of Tinubu, destroy this, destroy that in the nation. But we have allowed him. He knew what happened to Ndume.

“Ndume, for bailing Maina, was taken to prison for not producing him, but we allowed this man to go as opposition person. And that is why they could send everything back to the person. I am a presiding officer, I wish to be neutral as much as possible.

“I think there is need for us as a system to change our tactics. It is not about opposition. If you are going to do opposition, do opposition that is right, give factual views and also be part of solution to problems.

“Mr speaker, respectable colleagues, I think our privilege has been breached.

“There was complete wrong information and it is deliberate and that is why I am citing the issue of what I have seen the minority leader in the senate has done, with all of them sitting behind you.

“Ordinarily for failing to produce Kanu Nnamdi, he should be in prison, just like Ndume was taken to prison.”

Uzoma Abonta, a member of the PDP, responded by saying the matter was already in court and making such a demand will amount to interfering in a judicial decision.