June 30, (THEWILL) – A United Kingdom-based brother of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Kingsley Kanu, has said the fugitive was arrested in Kenya.
However, Kingsley’s statement contradicts THEWILL’s investigations that earlier placed Kanu’s arrest in Ethiopia.
THEWILL’s scoop had come from a confidential letter Nigeria wrote to Ethiopia to assist in the apprehending of Kanu, even though his brother’s statement insinuated that the neighbouring Kenya was where he had actually been apprehended while paying a visit.
Kingsley said Kanu was arrested and detained by Kenyan authorities pending when Nigerian security operatives came to pick him up and subsequently whisked him off to Nigeria.
According to Kingsley, his brother’s treatment by the Kenyan and Nigerian authorities violated international charters, and the United Kingdom, where Kanu made home with his wife and children, must intervene to get the detainee’s rights respected.
He said that the UK must demand that Nnamdi Kanu be set free to rejoin his family in England.
The full statement reads: “My brother Nnamdi Kanu demands the right to self-determination for Biafra. Self-determination is the right that underpins the United Nations. Because Biafrans support Nnamdi Kanu’s call for Biafran self-determination, my brother has now been subjected to the most serious violations of international law.
“My brother has been subject to extraordinary rendition by Kenya and Nigeria. They have violated the most basic principles of the rule of law. Extraordinary rendition is one of the most serious crimes states can commit. Both Nigeria and Kenya must be held to account. I demand justice for my brother, Nnamdi Kanu.
“The British High Commission in Nigeria must insist upon my brother’s immediate release. They must guarantee his safety and security. Nnamdi Kanu must be returned home to the UK to his wife and his sons who live here. The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, must make clear to the Nigerian authorities that they will not tolerate the unlawful detention of British citizens and that the UK Government condemns the Nigerians and Kenyans for undermining the rule of law.
“Foreign Secretary Raab must be clear. There will be consequences for those who resort to extraordinary rendition. The British Government must insist upon justice for Nnamdi Kanu.”
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