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Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The United Kingdom (UK) has distanced itself from the arrest and extradition of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu to Nigeria.
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| Nnamdi Kanu |
The extradition has sparked more
controversy and confusion in Nigeria as people have started interrogating the
circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Nnamdi Kanu is also a citizen of
the UK, and resides there. On Tuesday, the UK denied any involvement in the alleged
extradition, saying that at the time the Biafran agitator was picked up, he was
not in the United Kingdom.
Reacting to the speculation of where
the IPOB leader was arrested, the Head of Communications British High
Commission Dean Hurlock, said that Nnamdi Kanu was not arrested in
the UK.
According to Hurlock, "On behalf of the
British High Commission to Nigeria I can say as follows:
We are aware of reports that Nnamdi Kanu has been
detained in Nigeria by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
We can confirm that Nnamdi Kanu was not arrested in
the UK for extradition.
There are indication that the IPOB leader was
arrested in Kenya.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Abubakar Malami, who announced the arrest on Tuesday, said the
fugitive secessionist leader was intercepted with the help of international
Police( Interpole) but did not make specific statements about the country or the location where Kanu was intercepted.
Head of Communications British High Commission in Abuja, Dean
Hurlock has confirmed that the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office stands ready to provide consular assistance.
Thank you for your further inquiries on this matter concerning Nnamdi
Kanu. At this stage we can offer you the following response:
In response to any queries on whether Nnamdi Kanu was extradited from
the UK, we can reaffirm that Nnamdi Kanu was not arrested in the UK and nor was
he extradited from the UK.
With regards to any questions about the possible legality of his arrest,
the British High Commission in Abuja is currently in the process of seeking
clarification from the Nigerian government about the circumstances of the
arrest.
With regard to any questions about whether the British High Commission
are providing assistance in this case, we can confirm that the Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office stands ready to provide consular
assistance.
With regard to any questions about what the UK thinks about the proposed
legal process that Nnamdi Kanu is facing in Nigeria, the UK would expect any
trial or legal proceedings to follow due process.
This is as much as we can say on this matter for now. I will be
happy to provide further responses to additional questions in due course.
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