The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the United Kingdom government and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of “betraying justice” and remaining silent in the “ongoing persecution” of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said it was “deeply disappointed and angered” by the refusal of both the UK and Nigeria’s foremost legal body to speak out against what it described as gross judicial abuse in Kanu’s case.
“For four long years, Nigeria’s judges and justices have twisted the law beyond recognition,” Powerful stated.
“They have ignored the Constitution, disrespected basic human rights, and abandoned the principles that make any judiciary worthy of respect.”
IPOB accused the British government of failing to protect Kanu, a British citizen, and of turning a blind eye to what it called open violations of the rule of law in Nigeria.
“The UK government has watched quietly as its own citizens are treated unjustly by a system that no longer hides its bias,” the statement read.
“How can Britain, the birthplace of the rule of law, say nothing while Nigeria tramples on everything the common law stands for?”
The group alleged that the Nigerian judiciary had used “illegal procedures” and “dead laws” to sustain Kanu’s detention.
Powerful cited the reversal of his discharge by the Court of Appeal and his continued trial under what IPOB described as a “repealed” Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act of 2013.
According to IPOB, Kanu was “remanded without a lawyer present,” while “fake DSS (Department of State Services) witnesses who had never even met him” were allowed to testify in court.
IPOB also condemned the Supreme Court decision to return Justice Binta Nyako to preside over the case despite claims of bias.
“If this had happened to a British citizen anywhere else in the world, the UK government would have spoken out loudly,” IPOB stated. “But because the victim is a Biafran, there is silence, a silence that reeks of complicity.”
Turning its criticism to the Nigerian Bar Association, IPOB accused the legal body of cowardice and silence in the face of injustice.
“The NBA was created to defend the rule of law. Today, it behaves like an association afraid of its own shadow,” the statement said.
“Where are the senior lawyers who used to speak truth to power? Where are the fearless voices that once stood up to military dictators?”
IPOB warned that the NBA’s silence was eroding public confidence in the judiciary.
“This cowardice is destroying public trust in the judiciary. Judges are meant to be lions, not mice,” the group added.
The separatist group urged both the UK government and the NBA to “stand up for justice” and demand fair treatment for Kanu.
“You cannot claim to uphold justice abroad while turning your eyes away from injustice at home or among your citizens,” the statement noted.
“The persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not just a legal case; it is the mirror reflecting the decay of Nigeria’s judiciary and the moral failure of those who should defend justice.
“The world is watching, and history will not forget who stood silent while the law was buried in broad daylight.”
