By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
A United States–based advocacy group, the Rising Sun Foundation, has called on the United Kingdom government to demand accountability from Nigerian authorities over the arrest and conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s expected visit to the UK.
In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by its president, Dr. Maxwell Dede, the group urged British authorities not to allow President Tinubu’s meeting with King Charles III to proceed without addressing what it described as the “unlawful abduction and extraordinary rendition” of Kanu in 2021.
“The only expectation we have is simple and just: that this visit must not pass without the United Kingdom demanding clear answers from the Nigerian authorities regarding the unlawful abduction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement read.
Kanu, a British citizen, was arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and subsequently transferred to Nigeria under circumstances that have drawn international criticism.
The Nigerian government later confirmed his return but has consistently rejected claims that the process amounted to an illegal rendition.
According to the Rising Sun Foundation, the UK Foreign Office has, for nearly five years, sent multiple diplomatic communications to Nigeria seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding Kanu’s arrest and transfer, without receiving what it termed a “transparent or satisfactory response.”
“For a British citizen traveling on a valid UK passport to be abducted from a third country and rendered to Nigeria without due process is a matter that demands urgent and serious attention,” Dr. Dede said.
The group accused the UK government of failing in its duty of care to one of its citizens, arguing that political and economic interests should not outweigh fundamental human rights.
“It is morally indefensible for the very state that created Nigeria, and which remains one of its principal political and economic partners, to abandon its duty of care toward a British citizen simply because of political convenience or historic hostility toward the Biafran cause,” the statement added.
The foundation also raised concerns over what it described as “credible reports” regarding the aircraft and logistical arrangements allegedly used in Kanu’s transfer, suggesting the possibility of international complicity.
“The continued silence and inaction of the UK authorities, coupled with these reports, have deepened public suspicion that powerful international actors may have been aware of, or complicit in, the operation,” Dr. Dede said.
“Such concerns, the group said, “cannot be brushed aside without transparency.”
The group outlined specific demands it wants the UK government and the British monarch to pursue during President Tinubu’s visit, including a full public explanation from Nigerian authorities, clarification of the legal basis for Kanu’s arrest in Kenya, and the establishment of an independent inquiry if satisfactory answers are not provided.
“If the United Kingdom wishes to demonstrate that it was not a silent partner—or worse, an instigator—in the unlawful abduction of its own citizen, then this visit presents a clear and unavoidable test,” the statement said.
“The world is watching,” Dr. Dede said, adding, “Justice demands answers.”
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