Nnamdi Kanu Petitions US, UK Embassies Over Detention, Demands International Intervention
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written a series of petitions to foreign embassies and international organizations over what he described as his unlawful and arbitrary detention by the Nigerian government.
Kanu, through his legal team, urged the international community to prevail on Nigeria to respect constitutional supremacy, enforce the rule of law, and put an end to what he termed a pattern of judicial lawlessness.
The petitions, PulseNets obtained, were addressed to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, European Union, ECOWAS Court, Kenya, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Finland, Austria, Brazil, Amnesty International, Red Cross, and the African Union.
Signed by IPOB’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, on behalf of Kanu, the document strongly criticized both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal for what was described as a collapse of judicial credibility in Nigeria.
In part of the petition sighted by PulseNets, Kanu stated:
“I am humbly calling for your urgent intervention to compel Nigeria to obey its own laws, honour established judicial precedents, and respect the constitutional supremacy embedded in the 1999 Constitution.”
He further accused Nigeria’s top courts of acting unlawfully:
“The Supreme Court’s conduct, worsened by the Court of Appeal’s illegal stay of execution, has eroded the rule of law. I therefore appeal for your support to restore justice.”
Relief Sought by Kanu
Kanu’s petition listed specific demands which PulseNets reported as follows:
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Immediate Release:
“I respectfully request urgent intervention to compel Nigeria to comply with Abacha v. State and Ejiofor v. FRN, enforcing the Court of Appeal’s ruling retroactive to October 13, 2022, nullifying my detention, and voiding the October 28, 2022 stay of execution.”
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Condemnation of Judicial Misconduct:
“I ask you to declare the actions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal as clear violations of constitutional supremacy, judicial precedents, and international conventions including the ICCPR and ECHR.”
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Accountability of the UK:
“The UK must be compelled under the principle of R (Evans) to take emergency diplomatic measures, including Magnitsky-style sanctions against Nigerian officials complicit in this persecution.”
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Escalation to International Courts:
“Should Nigeria remain defiant, I urge referral of this matter to the ECOWAS Court, the African Court, or even the International Criminal Court.”
Condemnation of UK Inaction
Kanu also told PulseNets that his prolonged detention was worsened by what he called British negligence:
“The 14 months I have spent in detention, aided by the UK’s failure to act, is a glaring example of discriminatory neglect and judicial impunity. This cannot continue.”
Also Read: Biafra: Sentence Ekpa, release Nnamdi Kanu — Southeast stakeholders
According to him, the Supreme Court’s December 15, 2023 ruling, coupled with the earlier Court of Appeal’s stay of October 28, 2022, represents a systemic collapse of governance and justice in Nigeria.
He concluded with a stark warning:
“Your immediate intervention is necessary to stop my persecution, ensure constitutional order, and prevent what may ultimately become my death in custody.”
