Naija Blog Reports that the family of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has issued a scathing statement accusing the British Government of playing a complicit role in his ongoing detention and alleged torture by the Nigerian government.

The statement, signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu on behalf of the Kanu family, alleges that the UK has not only failed to protect Kanu—a British citizen—but has actively enabled what the family describes as an “international crime” through silence, inaction, and diplomatic shielding.

“Were Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to die in the custody of the Nigerian government, it would be to the eternal shame and blood-drenched legacy of the United Kingdom,” the statement read.

Accusations of Rendition and Betrayal

The family claims that Kanu was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2021 and “illegally rendered” to Nigeria without due legal process—a move the statement describes as a violation of international law, the Commonwealth Mutual Assistance Treaty, and the UK’s own Extradition Act.

Despite being a British citizen, the Kanu family alleges that UK officials “turned a blind eye” while the IPOB leader was allegedly tortured and flown to Nigeria in chains.

The UK Foreign Office and its High Commissions in Nairobi and Abuja were particularly singled out for criticism, with the family accusing them of engaging in “diplomatic deceit” and covering up the incident.

"Britain Was Not a Bystander"

The Kanu family further claims that after consular visits to Kanu in DSS custody, the UK failed to follow through on assurances and instead enabled Nigerian authorities to amend charges to remove references to “London, United Kingdom” as the scene of the alleged offences.

“Britain was not merely a bystander. Britain was a co-conspirator,” Prince Emmanuel Kanu declared in the release.

Historical Allegations Against Britain

The strongly worded release also links Kanu’s current ordeal to a broader historical narrative, accusing the UK of a longstanding pattern of hostility towards the Igbo people, dating back to the Biafran War (1967–1970).

“In 1968, they supplied the arms that killed Biafran children. In 2021, they supplied the silence that allowed their citizen to be kidnapped and tortured,” the statement claims.

Demands and Warnings

The Kanu family has demanded the British Government:

  • Accept public responsibility for its alleged complicity;

  • Demand Kanu’s immediate return to either Kenya or the UK;

  • Cease support for his trial in Nigeria;

  • Initiate a parliamentary inquiry into the role of British diplomats.

The family warned that if anything were to happen to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu while in detention, they would hold the UK “morally and politically responsible.”

“Their silence is not neutrality. It is an endorsement of tyranny,” the statement concluded.

Background

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB—a group seeking the peaceful secession of Biafra from Nigeria—has remained in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) following his controversial arrest in 2021. While IPOB is banned in Nigeria, it is not classified as a terrorist group in the United Kingdom, where it remains a legally registered entity.

Despite several court orders for his release and growing international calls for due process, his trial has lingered amidst what his supporters describe as political persecution and human rights violations.