Nnamdi Kanu requests for his treasonable trial in London as a British-Nigerian citizen

The embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has called on the United Kingdom to come to his aid, following his prolonged stay in detention at the facility of the Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS), as he equally demanded his trial in United Kingdom

Penpushing reports that Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen who has been detained at the security service facility since he was rearrested in July 2021 is facing terrorism trial at a Federal High Court, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

The leader of the outlawed group made appeal of intervention to the United Kingdon in a letter dated 18 January signed by his special counsel Aloy Ejimakor and addressed to the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the London parliament,

Penpushing further reports that the counsel in the latter explained that he had the instruction of Kanu to do so, and gave details of how Kanu was first arrested, his initial trial, and how he fled Nigeria after Nigerian security forces invaded his home town in Abia State.

The prayers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, in the letter, include plea with the parliament to consider for possible implementation, urgent intervention, demand for unconditional release, repatriate him to United Kingdom and sanction against the Nigerian government

‘Urgently intervene in His Majesty’s (UK) Government, strongly urging it to promptly make demands on the Government of Nigeria to unconditional release of Mr Kanu from detention and repatriate him to the United Kingdom and to levy sanctions against the Government of Nigeria if it fails to comply within a reasonable time,” the letter read in part.

Penpushing also reports that Kanu argued in the letter that his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria from Kenya inherently destroys every prospect for a fair trial in a jurisdiction that levied the rendition, citing previous court rulings in the United Kingdom to support his position.

The letter emphasized that, in the alternative, the parliament should promptly intervene with His Majesty’s Government, strongly urging it to make binding proposals to the Government of Nigeria to agree to conduct his trial in the United Kingdom instead of Nigeria.

Penpushing further reports that Kanu argued that since charges preferred against him by the Nigerian government were alleged to have been committed by him in the United Kingdom, there are legal reasons for which he should be tried in the United Kingdom, rather than in Nigeria.

The detained Kanu mentioned his British-Nigerian citizenship, human rights concerns, existing Nigerian-British diplomatic considerations, security and safety, fair trial and prospect of political interference as some of the reasons for which he should be tried in the United Kingdom.

Penpushing also reports that he stated that if conducting his trial in United Kingdom will be impossible, the parliament may alternatively intervene with His Majesty’s Government, urging it to make binding proposal to the Nigerian government to agree to conduct his trial in a mutually agreed neutral third country, other than Nigeria and the United Kingdom, as was done in the Lockerbie trial of Libyan nationals.

The letter stated that the decision to make the request to the parliament was propelled by undue levity with which the United Kingdom government has so far handled Kanu’s matter, adding that he (Kanu) was convinced that he has not been accorded the full legal and diplomatic protections he is entitled to as a bonafide British subject.

Penpushing reports that the letter indicated that Ejimakor, Kanu’s legal team in the United Kingdom, and Kanu’s United States-based international counsel, Bruce Fein, are all available to personally appear before the parliament whenever it deems necessary in the course of considering the petition.

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