The senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has denied the claim by the Federal Government that the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is in his custody.

The Federal Government had earlier replied to Abaribe’s application seeking to withdraw as one of the sureties for Kanu, describing the application as too late.

But Abaribe in a reaction to a question on whether Kanu was actually in his custody, said he doesn’t know his whereabouts.

The Federal Government, however, stated in its counter-affidavit that Abaribe was aware that Kanu “has long violated the bail conditions handed down by this honourable court” on April 24, 2017 before September 11 when he claimed to have lost contact with the defendant.

The counter-affidavit read in part, “That it was at this point at violating the conditions at the bail that the senator surety ought to surrender the 1st defendant and or bring up this application; That this application is belated and ill-timed;

“The applicant failed to apply to the court timeously, stating on oath that the defendant bound by recognizance to appear before this court had violated the bail condition given by this court.”

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, argued in the written address that Abaribe “failed woefully” by allegedly aiding and abetting Kanu to flout his bail conditions.

Abaribe, however, denied knowing Kanu’s whereabouts.

“I don’t know where he is. But that is a question that will be resolved by the suit we have instituted,” he told Punch.