The Department of State Services has stopped detained leader
of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, from signing a
consular assistance form by the United Kingdom.
One of the counsels for the detained IPOB leader, Aloy
Ejimakor, disclosed this in a statement on Monday after visiting Kanu in DSS
custody.
Kanu, who was born on September 25, 1967, is a holder of
Nigerian and British passports. Upon his re-arrest and extradition from a
foreign country, he was arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal
High Court in Abuja for terrorism-related charges and has since been remanded
in the custody of the Department of State Services. He had jumped bail before
fleeing to the United Kingdom.
Recall that the British Government
expressed readiness to provide “consular assistance” for Kanu but need him to
assent to the assistance by signing some forms.
Head of Communications, British High Commission in Abuja,
Dean Hurlock, had said that “The British High Commission in Abuja is
currently in the process of seeking clarification from the Nigerian government
about the circumstances of the arrest.
“With regard to any questions about whether the British High
Commission are providing assistance in this case, we can confirm that the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stands ready to provide consular
assistance.”
Subsequently, Ejimakor delivered two forms to the IPOB
leader last Wednesday during a visit to the office of the secret police.
But in a statement sent to our correspondent on Monday, the
lawyer said the forms were returned to him unsigned.
Ejimakor’s statement was titled, ‘Summary of my visitation
with our Client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on Monday 19th July’.
It read, “Last Saturday, when I visited Mazi Kanu, I
expressed strong concerns about the inordinate delay in having Kanu sign the
two Forms I had taken to the DSS for Kanu’s signature some days before.
“Both Forms relate to affirming his consent to consular and
diplomatic interventions by the United Kingdom and her High Commission in
Nigeria.
“Surprisingly, the Forms were returned to me unsigned.
“Let me make it clear that the day I took the Forms to the
DSS, the officers on location were amenable to Kanu signing them until
somewhere along the line, they tarried and decided to send it to the legal unit
for vetting.
“So, my sense is that it’s the legal unit of the DSS that
disapproved of Kanu signing the Forms for reasons that were not given to me.
“As a lawyer, I don’t see any legal advantage the government
of Nigeria stands to gain by blocking Kanu from signing those Forms. The Forms
are but a mere routine in matters like this.
“Instead of any advantage, the refusal will help fuel the
notion that the government of Nigeria is deliberately isolating Kanu from
having consular and diplomatic access to the United Kingdom.
“It does not comport with the best traditions of fundamental
fairness that a detainee is being denied access to resources that will assist
him in his defence. This is one of the things that will count in our reckoning
as this matter continues to fold.
“For these reasons, I am now compelled to call on the
British High Commission in Nigeria to banish every red tape and exert the full
weight of its diplomatic clout in gaining immediate access to Kanu. This is
especially important, given the prospects of better welfare, including adequate
medical care for Mazi Kanu.
“Further, the prompt intervention of the High Commission
will mean that Kanu will have another layer of human contact in addition to his
legal team who are the only ones currently allowed to see him.”
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