ABUJA—The detained leader of the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr.
Nnamdi Kanu, has urged the British
Government to intervene in his case by
asking President Muhammadu Buhari to
release him from prison.
Kanu who is facing treason charge
alongside two other pro-Biafra agitators,
Benjamin Madubugwu and David
Nwawuisi, approached the British
government through his lawyer, Mr.
Ifeanyi Ejiofor.
Kanu, in a letter dated March 24 and
addressed to the British High
Commissioner in Abuja, described
himself as a victim of travesty of justice
and gross human rights violation.
He insisted that the President Buhari-led
administration has violently abused his
fundamental human rights through his
prolonged detention in prison custody.
Even though Kanu said he was ready to
answer to the charge against him, he
however expressed doubt in the ability
of the Nigerian government to accord
him fair trial, saying he has so far been
subjected to immense persecution.
British citizen
Stressing that he is a British citizen, Kanu
told the UK government that he was
wrongly arrested and put in detention.
"It is repeating the obvious to state that
our client is a full British citizen, by
virtue of which position he is entitled to
all Rights, Privileges and Protection,
guaranteed under the British Laws and
conventions.
"We are therefore constrained in the
circumstance, to formally notify the
British Government via this medium, of
our well informed reservations, and
apprehension, that our client is
undergoing persecution in the charge
above referred, and deliberate design by
the persecutors to frustrate every effort
of the Defense team aimed at giving our
client a fair trial".
Kanu, through his lawyer, contended
that his detention from October 14,
2015 till January 20, 2016, without any
lawful order of court, was not only
unlawful, but was in flagrant
disobedience of orders of courts of
competent jurisdiction which he said
directed his unconditional release and
discharge.
Dual citizenship
"It is the position of our Law, that dual
citizenship is a constitutional right of the
citizens of Nigeria, clearly provided for
under section 28 of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria as amended in 2011. Dual
citizenship is not a crime under our Law.
Reservations on President's comment
"Our reservations on the President's
comment was underpinned by the
findings made in the ruling delivered on
February 29, 2016, by Hon. Justice John
Tsoho, wherein our client and the two
other defendants were denied bail.
"Recalled that on December 29, 2015,
during the Presidential Media Chat, the
President told the whole world that
Nnamdi Kanu cannot be granted bail,
alleging that he came into the country
without a valid travelling passport.
"This pronouncement was roundly
condemned by both local and
international commentators. His
pronouncement was viewed as a clear
usurpation of the functions and powers
of the judiciary.
"Though very regrettable and extremely
unfortunate, Nnamdi Kanu was refused
bail on January 29, 2016. In refusing him
and other defendants bail, the court also
cited the facts of his possession of dual
passports as a flight risk, and as such
held that he cannot be granted bail."
Kanu maintained that Justice Tsoho
denied him bail "in line with the
pronouncement of the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria in his media
chat telecasted live on December 29,
2015.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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