The Igbo apex socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on former President Muhammadu Buhari to address allegations of his involvement in an international conspiracy against the Igbo people.

The group’s demand follows recent comments by Buhari’s former spokesperson, Femi Adesina, who suggested that there was “consideration of the killing option” before Kanu was extradited from Kenya and put on trial in Nigeria.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as the voice of the Igbo people, demands that Former President Muhammadu Buhari addresses Nigerians regarding his alleged involvement in an international conspiracy against the Igbo during his administration,” the group said in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

The statement added that Ohanaeze Ndigbo initially dismissed such conspiracy theories but that Adesina’s revelations have intensified the group’s suspicions.

“With this revelation, Ndigbo and Nigerians can now see beyond the curtains and recognize the potential reality that Buhari’s government may have been acting in line with the scripts of international conspirators against the Igbo in the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement said.

The group also accused Buhari’s administration of providing a platform for the rise of self-determination struggles in southern Nigeria by failing to address the issue of Fulani herdsmen attacks on Igbo communities.

“Buhari’s perceived silence and efforts to empower Myetti Allah groups through initiatives like RUGA in the south inadvertently gave birth to resistance movements, leading to the emergence of separatist groups like Sunday Igboho in the Southwest and IPOB under Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership in the Southeast,” the statement said.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo called on Buhari to “exhibit the courage of conviction and provide Nigerians with a comprehensive explanation.”

“It is necessary for the truth to be revealed, and for justice to prevail,” the statement said.

Kanu, who is on trial for treason, has been detained by the Nigerian authorities since his extradition from Kenya in June 2021. He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that is campaigning for the independence of Biafra.