Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that Nnamdi Kanu and his proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), pose greater risk to Nigeria than the combined terrorism of Boko Haram and bandits.
Reacting to the re-arrest of Kanu, the Governor argued that in operation, bandits and Boko Haram terrorists were different from that of the proscribed IPOB led by Kanu.
In an interviewed with the BBC Pidgin, El-Rufai said the bandits were not calling for the break-up of Nigeria but only carrying out their activities as a form of business.
He argued that IPOB led by Kanu, operate a centralised leadership unlike the bandits who simply seek money from their operation.
According to the Punch, when El-Rufai was asked if Boko Haram and bandits should be treated with the same swiftness that led to Kanu’s arrest, he said: “No! No! No! No! People are comparing apples to oranges.
“Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of IPOB, a proscribed organisation. He is identifiable, in constant communication and everyone knows where he is.
“Let’s take Boko Haram for instance. Shekau was in hiding and for the past 10 years and the military had been waging a war to get him.
“It is not like Shekau was in Saudi Arabia, sitting in one place, tweeting about the break-up of Nigeria or asking Boko Haram to go and kill Helen and Nasir el-Rufai.
“Nnamdi Kanu is in one place while Shekau is waging guerrilla warfare. The insurgency is still going on and the Federal Government is not giving up.
“Regarding bandits, they are not centralised under one leadership. Who is the head of the bandits? Who is the equivalent of Nnandi Kanu with banditry?
“Bandits are just collections of independent criminals. It is a business for them. It is not a case of Nigeria must break up.
“I want to challenge anyone to tell me the central leader of bandits in the same position as Kanu.”