News

Nnamdi Kanu Loses Appeal Against UK Govt

Published

1 year ago

Aug 2, 2023.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has lost his appeal against the UK government over his detention in Nigeria.

Kanu, who is a British citizen, had filed a lawsuit against the UK government in 2021, arguing that the government had not done enough to help him. He had specifically asked the government to make a public statement condemning his detention and to take steps to secure his release.

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The UK government argued that it had done everything it could to help Kanu, including providing consular assistance and raising his case with the Nigerian government. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the government had not done enough to reach a “firm view” on Kanu’s detention, and that it had not been irrational for the government to refrain from making a public statement.

The Court of Appeal’s decision is a blow to Kanu, who has been held in detention in Nigeria since June 2021. He is facing charges of treason and terrorism, which he denies.

The case has highlighted the challenges faced by British citizens who are detained in foreign countries. The UK government has a duty to provide consular assistance to its citizens, but it does not have the power to intervene in the legal proceedings of another country.

In this case, the UK government had raised Kanu’s case with the Nigerian government on several occasions, but the Nigerian government had refused to release him. The Court of Appeal’s decision means that the UK government cannot do anything more to help Kanu, and he will have to rely on the Nigerian courts to secure his release.

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