BREAKING: Court Takes Decision In Nnamdi Kanu’s Appeal Against UK Over Detention In Nigeria

BREAKING: Court Takes Decision In Nnamdi Kanu’s Appeal Against UK Over Detention In Nigeria

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been unsuccessful in his appeal against the UK government regarding his detention in Nigeria. Kanu, who holds British and Nigerian citizenship, had sought the UK government’s intervention in his case with the Nigerian government.

Kanu had approached the UK courts to compel the government to publicly condemn his detention and sued the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) as the representative of the UK government. However, the court dismissed his case in March 2023.

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Subsequently, Kanu filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal in London, challenging the High Court’s ruling. However, on July 7, 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s decision, stating that it could not interfere in the UK government’s decision regarding Kanu’s detention and conditions in Nigeria.

The judge, David Bean, delivering the lead decision of the court’s panel, stated that it was not irrational for the Foreign Secretary to withhold a firm view on the matter while the case against Kanu was still pending at Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

The court also noted that the Foreign Secretary’s refusal to make a public statement condemning Kanu’s detention did not constitute a procedural breach. The real complaint in the case was substantive, relating to the refusal to reach a firm view.

Despite expressing deep concern about Kanu’s treatment in Nigeria and Kenya, the judge dismissed the appeal, stating that he would not force the Foreign Secretary to take a firm position while the Nigerian government’s case against Kanu was still ongoing.

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, has faced detention in Nigeria since 2015 due to his separatist campaigns. The Nigerian government has designated IPOB as a terrorist organization in the country, and Kanu has faced charges of treasonable felony for allegedly possessing arms to attack the Nigerian state.