A Coalition of British lawyers of Igbo extraction has vowed
to drag the Kenyan Government to the International Criminal Court, ICC, for
detaining Nnamdi Kanu, a British citizen, and subsequently handing him over the
Nigerian Government.
The Coalition also gave the Nigerian Government 48 hours
ultimatum to release Nnamdi Kanu, return him to the United Kingdom and follow
the right process of extradition.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra,
IPOB, was arrested and detained by Kenyan authorities and was later handed over
to the Nigerian Government.
The lawyers’ statement was signed by Barrister Ebuka
Okoroafor, accusing the Kenyan government of violating the human rights of the
IPOB leader, who entered their country with his British passports.
“Coalition of Igbo-British lawyers condemns the illegal
detention and subsequent handing over of the leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the Nigerian government by the Kenyan Government,”
the Coalition statement said.
They described as archaic and illegal the action of the
Kenyan Government, adding, “It is worthy of note to mention that Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu entered Kenya with his British passport, and the Kenyan government is
fully aware of his citizenship status but still went ahead to perpetrate their
illegal act which does not only breach the personal human rights of Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu but also undermine the sovereignty of the British government,” the
statement read in part.
The Coalition warned that the failure of the Nigerian
Government to free Kanu and return him to the UK will be seen as a declaration
of war not just on the IPOB leader and his group but the entire Igbos.
“While this serves as a pre-action notice to the Kenyan
Government as we shall be heading to the International Criminal Court to
rectify the injustice done as it is trite law that injustice to one is
injustice to all, we are also by this medium informing the Nigerian Government
that they have 48 hours to return Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the United Kingdom.
“And if he has any charges to answer to, they should as a
nation that is governed by the constitution, pass through the legal means of
filing an extradition notice.”
The group further warned that no bodily harm whatsoever must
be done to Nnamdi Kanu.
Earlier, the UK Government had said it will engage the
Buhari government over the rearrest of Kanu.
The UK Government said the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office “stands ready to provide consular assistance,” to the IPOB
leader.
Nnamdi Kanu was arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the
Federal High Court on Tuesday and was remanded at the Department of State
Service until July 26.
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