“Mr. Kanu is a British citizen, who was traveling on a valid British passport, when he was seized in a third country and forcibly brought to Nigeria. Such act constitutes an unlawful rendition of a bonafide British citizen.
“He was not traveling on Nigerian passport or the passport of any other country, including that of Kenya. There is no extant order of extradition by any British Court or any other foreign Court (including Kenya) and we are informed that there is no pending extradition proceedings standing against him in Britain or Kenya.
The lawyer argued that had there been a deportation order, the country of his deportation should have been Britain on which passport he was travelling, adding that deporting him to Nigeria just because he was born in Nigeria, was unlawful under international law.
He stressed that the enterprise upon which Kanu is engaged, which is seeking the restoration of the defunct State of Biafra through a referendum, is a protected political opinion known as self-determination under British and Nigerian laws.
Ejimakor stated that Kanu was intercepted in Kenya by Nigeria’s foreign security agents and brought to Nigeria against his will and ‘arraigned’ before the Federal High Court, Abuja without a counsel.
He urged the High Commissioner to grant him consular assistance to which he is entitled as a British citizen, including being categorised as a high profile political prisoner or a prisoner of conscience.
He urged British authorities to file a diplomatic note or other legal process at the Federal High Court and the office of the Attorney General of Nigeria, indicating her sovereign interest in Kanu’s matter and declaring that he is not a criminal.
Culled: The Guardian
