President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have issued a matching order to the Nigerian military to weaken Nnamdi Kanu and his group, the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) before he returns from the trip he is set to embark on Sunday.
Buhari will attend the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 72).
He will join other world leaders at the welcoming reception to be hosted by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and also hold a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe.
The Nigerian leader is billed to have a a lunch meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, along with other world leaders.
Buhari, who will be accompanied by the governors of Zamfara, Ebonyi and Ondo States, and key cabinet ministers, will transit through London on his way back to the country.
Although it is still unclear how long the president will be away, it was gathered on Friday that he spoke to the nation’s security chiefs earlier in the week.
The president, angered by the audacity of IPOB in declaring that they were ready to fight Nigerians ordered the military to move in and quell their violent clamour.
”Buhari will never negotiate the unity of Nigeria and I can tell you that the declaration by the military that IPOB are enemies of the state is the outcome of the go-ahead by the president.”
“Rules of engagement will be respected but force will be applied where necessary. My advice is for the agitators to clam down and use wisdom,” a reliable source told newsmen.
The Nigerian military in a statement by Major General, John Enenche, Director Defence Information, declared IPOB a terrorist organisation.
A statement he signed gave reasons for the decision.
The military had said, “after due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient, to notify the general public that; the claim by IPOB actors that the organization is non violent is not true.
“Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB.
“In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that has been terrorising the general public among others include;
“The formation of a Biafra Secret Service; Claimed formation of Biafra National Guard; Unauthorised blocking of public access roads; Extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.
“Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.
“Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a check point on 11 September 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles.
“Attack by IPOB members, on a military check point on 12 September 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.”
The source told our correspondent that the onslaught against Kanu and IPOB will commence on Monday.
He said the military is fully ready and will clampdown on Biafra agitators in response “to the battle line drawn by Nnamdi Kanu”.
“If you go to the extent of forming a secret service all in the name of agitation, you have declared war on the state and no responsible government will just watch and do nothing”.
“So come Monday, those who think they have grown so much that they can threaten a whole country should be ready to face the consequences”.