…Claims British govt conspired in illegal rendition, ignored torture of IPOB leader
The family of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused the British government of aiding and shielding what it described as “an international crime” against a British citizen.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday and shared by Kanu’s counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, the family alleged that the United Kingdom’s “silence and inaction” since the IPOB leader’s controversial arrest and extraordinary rendition in 2021 amounts to diplomatic complicity.
The statement, titled “Britain’s Blood-Stained Hand in the Unfolding Tragedy of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu” and signed by the family spokesperson, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, likened the current situation to Britain’s role during the Nigerian civil war.
“The same British Government that armed Nigeria to starve Biafran children to death now stands accused of a far more cowardly crime—the silent orchestration and diplomatic shielding of an illegal rendition, torture, and political show trial of a British citizen for exercising freedoms guaranteed under British law,” the statement read.
‘UK Complicit in Extraordinary Rendition’
The family recalled that in June 2021, Kanu—identified as a British citizen—was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, and “illegally transferred” to Nigeria in a process they said violated Kenyan and international laws.
According to the statement, British authorities failed to act despite being aware of the alleged violations.
“Why was the British High Commission in Nairobi inactive while a British citizen was drugged, tortured, and flown out in chains? Why was the UK Foreign Office complicit in turning a blind eye?” the statement queried, alleging that Britain was “not merely a bystander but a co-conspirator.”
Charges Quietly Amended
The family further alleged that during consular visits in Abuja, Kanu asked why the UK allowed his trial in Nigeria for broadcasts made in the UK, where IPOB and Radio Biafra remain lawful.
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The statement claimed that four days after that visit, Nigeria’s former Attorney-General amended charges to remove London as the alleged crime scene—an action the family described as a “cover-up” possibly influenced by British officials.
‘New Colonial Game’
Accusing Britain of “strangulating justice through silence,” the family insisted that Nigeria lacks jurisdiction over the alleged offences and that the rendition violated the UK Extradition Act and international norms.
“Britain continually refuses to challenge the unlawful prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite knowing the facts. Their excuse—‘We cannot interfere in a Nigerian trial’—is cowardly and insidious,” the statement added.
The family warned that any harm to Kanu would leave the UK with what it called an “eternal blood-stained legacy,” declaring:
“Were Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to die in the custody of the Nigerian government, it would be to the eternal shame of the United Kingdom.”
The British High Commission in Nigeria and the UK Foreign Office have yet to respond to these fresh allegations.