Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says it is time the Nigerian government sought political solutions to agitations of the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to tackle the violence perpetrated in the South-East.

Mr Abubakar said this in a statement on Friday, condemning the gruesome murder of some Nigerian soldiers and civilians by gunmen enforcing sit-at-home in Abia State on Thursday.

Mr Kanu has been held in detention since 2021. His prolonged detention has seen killings and abductions escalate in the South-East region as IPOB enforcement sit-at-home order.

“Without prejudice to the ongoing legal processes, I think the time has come to explore a political resolution to the Nnamdi Kanu and other associated issues,” said Mr Abubakar. “I believe that this will diffuse the compressor cooker situation in the region. It will be a win-win for all parties.”

The former presidential candidate said the activities of the unknown gunmen hiding under the guise of separatist agitation must be addressed to douse hostility in South Eastern Nigeria.

“The veil of the so-called unknown gunmen hiding undercover to unleash death and mayhem must be lifted to ensure that criminal elements are separated from legitimate agitators,” he stated.

On July 1, 2021, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime repatriated Mr Kanu to Nigeria after fleeing the country following a military raid in his abode.

The regime had said the IPOB leader was “intercepted through the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian intelligence and security services,” failing to further elaborate on the circumstances of Mr Kanu’s arrest. However, the Kenyan government denied involvement in Mr Kanu’s arrest and repatriation to Nigeria.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld the treasonable charge against Mr Kanu, while in May 2024, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court dismissed the IPOB leader’s bail application.

Mr Kanu had argued that the Nigerian court could not try him due to the government’s violation of the internal charter that prohibits the abduction of anyone from a foreign land.