IPOB has slamed Garba Shehu over ‘Villa Rat’ Lie as as Igbo Elders step up pressure for Kanu’s release.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has come out swinging against former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, following his recent admission that the notorious “villa rat invasion” tale, once used to justify ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s extended absence from office was a deliberate fabrication.
In a fiery statement released by its spokesperson made available to NaijaOnPoint Nigeria, Emma Powerful, the group described Shehu’s revelation as a powerful vindication of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who had consistently alleged that Buhari was gravely ill and that Nigerians were being misled about the true state of affairs at the presidency.
“This belated confession is not just an indictment of Shehu himself, but a damning reflection of the layers of deceit that have defined governance in Nigeria,” IPoB said. “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu warned the world, years ago, that the Nigerian government was hiding the truth. Today, the same man who branded Kanu’s claims as hate speech and propaganda has confirmed the deception in his own words.”
IPOB further accused Shehu and others in the Buhari administration of staging what it called a “national charade,” misleading over 200 million Nigerians with falsehoods instead of providing transparency and leadership.
“What could be more treasonous than lying to an entire nation about the health of its president?” the group asked, adding that the revelation only further exposes the unjust persecution of Kanu, who it said has been vilified, tortured, and unlawfully detained simply for speaking the truth.
Igbo Elders Step Up Pressure for Kanu’s Release
Meanwhile, NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu continue to grow louder, with the United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) declaring his prolonged detention as unlawful and unjust.
In a statement issued after its plenary meeting held on July 5 in Enugu, the group condemned what it described as a blatant violation of national and international law. It noted that multiple court rulings in Nigeria and Kenya have ordered Kanu’s release and awarded damages over his illegal rendition and continued solitary confinement.
As part of its next steps, UNIEC has constituted a seven-member delegation to visit Kanu at the DSS detention facility in Abuja on July 18. The team, drawn from the council’s 24-member National Advisory Council, will be led by the council’s Director-General, His Lordship Justice Alpha Ikpeama.
“We are deeply disturbed by the continued injustice against Mazi Kanu,” the group said in a joint statement signed by Justice Ikpeama and UNIEC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Professor Obasi Igwe. “No Nigerian has endured this level of political persecution in recent history.”
Other prominent members of the delegation include HRH Eze Fyneface Amechi, Prof. Obasi Igwe, Col. Alban Chike Obi (Rtd.), Lolo Louisa Okeke, and Nick Eze.
“We are standing with him, not just as elders, but as custodians of justice and conscience. Until he is free, we will not relent,” Prof. Igwe added.
The growing calls for Kanu’s release, amplified by both civil society and elder statesmen, suggest that pressure on the Nigerian government to resolve the matter is far from over.