A younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Prince Emma Kanu, has alleged that his brother, Nnamdi Kanu and his parents, Eze Israel and Ugoeze Kanu are still in the custody of the Nigerian Army.
But the Army has denied holding on to Kanu and his aged parents.
Emma Kanu made the allegation on Tuesday while reacting to the continued search for the IPOB leader and his parents, who had not been seen since after a military invasion of their residence in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on September 14.
Calling on the international community to prevail on the Federal Government to produce the IPOB leader, Kanu’s younger brother alleged that It’s either the soldiers captured him or killed him, when they attacked the family residence.
“They should release him or his corpse, if they killed him during the invasion because he was last seen moments before that period,” he  said.
Kanu’s younger brother also expressed shock that the palace of a serving traditional ruler could be raided by the military, without provocation, in broad daylight under a democratic government.
Last week, traditional rulers in Ibeku land had asked the Army to produce the monarch, who they said had not been sighted immediately after the invasion.
The monarchs had also accused the Army of desecrating the throne by raiding the palace without provocation, while condemning the attack, which left many either dead or wounded.
But in a swift response to the allegation, the Nigerian Army insisted that the IPOB leader was not in its custody, dismissing Kanu younger brother’s claim as completely false.
The Army Public Relations Officer, 14 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ohafia,Major Gbadamosi Oyegoke, said he was not authorised to comment on the matter.
But the officer in charge of the Operation Python Dance in Abia State, who did not disclose his name, simply said, “Kanu is not in Army custody.”
