Igbo Leaders seeks Kanu’s repatriation from UK to face trial in Nigeria

For fear that Nnamdi Kanu’s sureties may be held responsible should he fail to return for his trial, a Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to compel the Federal Government to have him brought back to the country.

The request is contained in a suit filed on October 5 by an indigene of Abia State, Ugochukwu Kenneth, through his lawyers Obor John and Tersagh Unande.



Named as de?fendants are:  the British High Commission, the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Kanu and some other member of his defunct group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are being tried before Justice Binta Nyako (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) for alleged treason.

The court granted only Kanu bail on health grounds on April 25. In meeting the bail conditions, three individuals, including Senator Eyinanaya Abaribe, stood surety for Kanu to guarantee that he would attend court until the trial is concluded.

But in a suit filed in his name on September 26, also before the Federal High Court in Abuja, his lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, accused the Army of abducting Kanu.

Ejiofor stated, among others, that Kanu had not been seen since some soldiers invaded his home on September 14, during which shots were fired and people allegedly died. Some were injured, he said.

Kanu’s lawyer’s claim about his whereabouts was, however, countered in an interview by former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, who said Kanu had escaped to Britain through Malaysia.

The plaintiff in the fresh suit, Uguchukwu Kenneth,agreed with the ex-governor’s position on Kanu’s whereabouts and requested that the NIS be compelled to repatriate him to enable him face his trial, which is expected to resume on October 17.

Kanneth stated, in a supporting affidavit, that “Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, representing the good people of Abia South Senatorial District of Abia State; Tochukwu Uchendu and Jewish Chief High Priest Immanuel -El Shalom Oka-Ben Madu perfected the bail bond which facilitated the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“Upon the perfection of the bail and consequent released of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from prison custody, Mazi Kanu has, to the best of my knowledge, breached all the bail conditions to wit; granting press interviews while on bail, participating in any rally, or being found in a crowd of more than ten persons in the course of the bail.

The case has been assigned to Justice John Tsoho. It is fixed for October 12 for its first mention.

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