IPOB Leader Files Petition Detailing Persecution and Abduction to International Relations and Defence Committee
In a renewed effort to secure his freedom, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has submitted a petition to the United Kingdom’s International Relations and Defence Committee of the House of Lords. The six-page document, filed through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, on January 18, 2024, outlines Kanu’s status as a British national and details his alleged mistreatment by the Nigerian government since June 19, 2021.
The petition underscores Kanu’s role as a political activist advocating self-determination for the people of Biafra and the creation of a sovereign state through a referendum. It emphasizes the legal standing of IPOB as a registered entity in the United Kingdom, operating globally as a non-violent group.
Highlighting key events, the document notes the Nigerian government’s proscription of IPOB as a terrorist group in 2017, a decision overturned by a High Court in October 2023. The court declared the executive actions of the government unconstitutional and awarded damages against it, ordering an apology to Kanu.
The petition elaborates on the lethal attacks at Kanu’s home by Nigerian security forces in September 2017, leading to casualties, substantial damages, and captures of individuals. It cites subsequent legal developments, including a High Court declaration in January 2022 and an African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) interim decision in March 2018.
The ACHPR criticized the military attacks and proscription of IPOB, urging the Nigerian government to remedy the situation. The document also mentions a UN Special Rapporteurs’ communication in October 2020, disapproving the proscription of IPOB and noting ethnic bias and discrimination.
The petition graphically recounts Kanu’s forced exile from Nigeria and his subsequent abduction in Kenya in May 2021, highlighting the violation of his rights as a British citizen. Ejimakor expressed satisfaction with the recent Supreme Court judgment that condemned the military attacks and Kanu’s rendition, emphasizing the leader’s prolonged uncertainty without prospects of a fair trial.
As Kanu seeks international intervention, the petition sheds light on the legal and human rights aspects of his case, urging the House of Lords to consider his plea for justice and freedom.
