A former Director-General, Nigerian
Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, said the letter by
the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to
President Joe Biden was in furtherance of his agitation for the disintegration
of the country and the establishment of the Republic of Biafra.
He also noted that the US refusal to
relocate AFRICOM from Stuttgart, Germany, to Nigeria also coincides with Kanu’s
request that the US should not sell arms to Nigeria.
Akinterinwa in an interview with The
PUNCH on Sunday, said, “Since Kanu is requesting that the US
should not supply arms to Nigeria, it is very logical; why would Nnamdi Kanu
accept the relocation when AFRICOM is most likely to be an instrument against
what Kanu is asking for – the Republic of Biafra?”
The foreign policy expert said Buhari
committed a diplomatic faux pas by channelling his request for security
assistance to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during their virtual
meeting instead of President Biden.
Meanwhile, a security expert, AIG Augustine
Iwar (retd.), said the US’ response to Kanu’s petition would be determined by
American strategic interest in the country.
He further argued that the Biden government
would also be guided by the security outlook and other critical factors in the
country over the past 20 years.
Iwar, however, noted that it would not be
good for the US not to come to Nigeria’s assistance, adding that Kanu simply
wanted the nation to implode.
The retired Assistant Inspector-General of
Police said, “If the country implodes, it would justify what he has been
saying. I think the US strategic interest in this part of the world will
dictate what they will do and I’m not sure it is politically and strategically
beneficial to the US if Nigeria collapses.”
Also, retired Col. Hassan Stan-Labo
acknowledged Kanu’s grouse but noted that nearly every Nigerian had a grievance
against the Buhari regime, stressing that this was not enough reason to support
criminals to destroy the country.
According to him, if the US refused to sell
arms to Nigeria, their decision would not be based on Kanu’s petition or
arguments.
Source: punchng.com
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