Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has said that only the federal government of Nigeria, has the constitutional right to declare the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wanted.

Buratai also refuted claims that the Army is under any pressure, to withdraw troops from South-East.

He gave the statement on Monday, after the opening of the third quarter Nigerian army conference in Abuja.

Ever since the launch of Operation Python Dance in the South East, many have called for its termination, especially after some military personnel clashed with IPOB members in Umuahia and Aba in Abia State.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the wife of the late Biafran warlord, Bianca Ojukwu, have condemned the Army’s terming of IPOB as a terrorist organization, describing such categorization as unconstitutional and unjustifiable.

However, Buratai refuted insinuations that the army is under pressure to withdraw troops from the region and insisted that they were acting within the jurisdiction of the constitution.

“Nigerian Army is part of the political consideration in the democratic system. It is part of the democratic process. It is a product of the democratic governance. So, we are not under any pressure.
“We are doing what the constitution has provided. So we are not under any pressure whatsoever,” he added.