Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer drags Tinubu Govt before British Parliament

Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has submitted a complaint to the British House of Lords concerning the Nigerian Government’s detention and prosecution of Kanu.

In his petition to the British House of Lords, Ejimakor appeals for intervention in the alleged torture, rendition, and imprisonment of Kanu by the Nigerian Government. He calls on the British Parliament to take action against the Nigerian Government, including imposing sanctions, if it does not release Kanu without conditions and repatriate him to the United Kingdom.

Ejimakor presented these pleas in a petition submitted to the International Relations and Defence Committee of the House of Lords, emphasizing Kanu’s status as a British citizen. The petition outlines Kanu’s precarious health condition, citing serious heart issues, hypertension, and low potassium levels, which require specialized medical care unavailable in his current detention facility or in Nigeria.

The submitted petition states: “I. Urgently intervene with His Majesty’s Government, strongly urging it to promptly make demands on the Government of Nigeria (GON) to unconditionally release Mr. Kanu from detention and repatriate him to the United Kingdom; and to levy sanctions against the GON if it fails to comply within a reasonable time.”

It further asserts that the act of extraordinary rendition, as allegedly carried out against Kanu, jeopardizes the prospects for a fair trial and draws parallels to past cases where the UK denied extradition due to similar circumstances.

As an alternative, the petition proposes that the British Parliament should urge the UK government to propose conducting Kanu’s trial in the United Kingdom. This suggestion is based on several legal reasons, including Kanu’s dual citizenship, human rights concerns, diplomatic considerations, and fears for his security and safety in Nigeria.

The petition concludes: “Esteemed Members of the House of Lords, our decision to lay this Petition before you was propelled by the undue levity with which His Majesty’s Government has so far handled this matter. Mr. Kanu believes that he has not been accorded the full legal and diplomatic protections he is entitled to as a bona fide British subject. We trust therefore that this Petition will be given the most urgent and expeditious attention and due considerations by the House of Lords.”