Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and murmurings of the silent majority 

Sir: There are many versions of how MNK was arrested and brought back to Nigeria for the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja on June 29, 2021. This is the biggest news in town today. President Buhari’s men and their cohorts are clinging wine glasses in celebration of this success. The loud noise of their cheers and jeers can be heard from a distance, but some of us who are more circumspect is calling for caution and restraint. Rather than dwell too long in the euphoria of this success, they should invest more time to reflect on the underlying causative factors and for once, adopt a different approach involving consultation and dialogue in solving the problem.

From a casual viewpoint, the appealing option for state actors will be to embark on the familiar trajectory of trial and punitive action, which judging from past experiences, created more problems in the long run. One thing is certain, no matter the route the government decides to take, MNK’s case is the rope with which they either use to bail or hang themselves. It is the litmus test of the ambivalence or otherwise of this government’s rehabilitation policy for militants. It will also address the murmurings from various quarters, including the recurrent question of whether there are indeed government ordained terrorists and by extension, others not even allowed to express their rights to self-determination. 

• By Nwaokoma Ubandilogu, a High Chief, politician and public policy analyst, writes from Lagos.