The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the United Kingdom government and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of complicity through silence in what it describes as the unlawful detention and continuous persecution of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a strongly worded statement signed by IPOB’s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group said both the UK and the NBA have failed not only Kanu but also the cause of justice and the rule of law.
‘Four Years of Judicial Manipulation’
According to IPOB, for more than four years, Nigeria’s judiciary has subjected Kanu to a cycle of injustice, ignoring the Constitution and fundamental human rights in a manner that undermines public faith in the country’s legal system.
The group lamented that despite clear evidence of bias, unlawful procedures, and disregard for due process, both the British government under whose citizenship Kanu stands and the NBA, which should defend the rule of law, have chosen silence.
“For years, Nigeria’s courts have bent and twisted the law beyond recognition,” IPOB stated.
“They have ignored constitutional safeguards, violated human rights, and desecrated every principle that defines justice all while those who should know better remain mute.”
‘Britain’s Silence is Shameful’
IPOB condemned the United Kingdom for failing to intervene in the case of its citizen, accusing the British authorities of hypocrisy and selective diplomacy.
“How can Britain, the home of common law, watch quietly while Nigeria destroys the same legal traditions it claims to uphold?” the group queried.
It listed several irregularities in Kanu’s trial, including:
- The illegal overturning of the Court of Appeal’s judgment that discharged Kanu, using what IPOB called a “backdoor civil procedure.”
- The Supreme Court’s directive for Kanu to be retried under a repealed law — the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act of 2013.
- His remand without legal representation, in clear violation of constitutional provisions.
- The presentation of questionable witnesses by the DSS, who reportedly confessed to never meeting him.
- And the return of Justice Binta Nyako, despite allegations of bias previously acknowledged by a Supreme Court Justice.
The group noted that if such treatment were meted out to a British citizen elsewhere in the world, the UK government would have responded swiftly and strongly.
“But because the victim is a Biafran,” IPOB alleged, “Britain has decided to remain silent — a silence that reeks of complicity.”
NBA Accused of Betraying Its Mandate
IPOB also criticized the Nigerian Bar Association for failing to rise in defence of justice, accusing the body of abandoning its constitutional and ethical responsibility to protect the sanctity of the judiciary.
“The NBA, once a fearless defender of justice, has become an organization that trembles before power,” the statement said.
“Where are the bold legal voices that once stood up to dictatorship and tyranny? Today, the NBA looks away while courts use dead laws to persecute citizens and ignore obvious bias in their own ranks.”
The group argued that such silence erodes public confidence in the legal profession and damages the credibility of Nigeria’s justice system.
“Judges are supposed to be lions on the bench, not mice that scurry in fear of authority,” IPOB declared.
‘Justice Is on Trial’
IPOB urged both the UK government and the NBA to break their silence and take decisive action in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“This is not just about one man; it is about the future of justice itself,” the group said.
“You cannot claim to promote human rights and democracy abroad while ignoring blatant injustice against your own citizen or within your own country.”
The statement concluded that the ongoing persecution of Nnamdi Kanu represents a moral and legal test for institutions that claim to stand for fairness and equality before the law.
“The world is watching, and history will not forget who stood by while justice was buried in Nigeria,” IPOB warned.
Signed:
Comrade Emma Powerful
Media and Publicity Secretary
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
