Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, on Saturday, gave clarification on his visit to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, in the custody of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services.

The governor said the person he met at the DSS was the real Nnamdi Kanu, dismissing reports that the pictures he took with him (Kanu), shared on social media, were a cloned picture of Kanu.

Soludo had visited the IPOB leader last Friday and posted the videos where Kanu was wearing a red shirt instead of the Fendi white outfit he usually wears to court.

The governor said his visit to Kanu was in continuation of finding a lasting solution to peace in the South-East part of the country.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Christian Aburime, who spoke to PUNCH on behalf of the governor, said Kanu even wanted if he was permitted to make a broadcast to all IPOB members and his supporters generally.

He said, “The people saying Soludo posted the video of a cloned Kanu are telling lies to deceive the people, and the truth is obvious." Do you think a governor will want to get involved in that kind of frivolity by coming to tell the people that he met Kanu if he did not meet him?

“In essence, Soludo met with Kanu and not a cloned fellow of him. Everything is clear enough; you can see the governor and Kanu in the videos clearly; it was not something that was cloned as people are erroneously propagating now.

The reason he was wearing a red dress instead of the traditional white cloth that he wears to court is that the judge has directed that the DSS allow him access to any clothing he wants to wear and even allow him to watch television. So, on the day Soludo visited him, he was wearing a different type of clothing. People should not expect him to wear one type of clothing every day.

“He has the right to wear any type of clothing he wants to wear, especially as the judge has directed the DSS to allow him to change clothes.”

The governor relates the outcome of the visit as follows: “I visited Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday (Friday, 13th May, 2022) to felicitate with him and also as part of the wider consultations with critical stakeholders in search of lasting peace and security in the South-East."

“He was in very high spirits, and we had a quality and frank discussion in a very convivial atmosphere. He expressed sadness over what he described as “sacrilegious killings” of innocent people, kidnappings and all forms of criminality, including the brutal enforcement of the senseless “sit at home” perpetuated by sundry groups claiming to be acting for or on behalf of IPOB.

He assured us that if the opportunity arises, he will be glad to personally broadcast to his followers to maintain the peace. Together, we shall restore peace, security, and prosperity in Anambra and the South-East. ”