World Igbo Congress drags UN, others into Kanu’s case
The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has called on the United Nations (UN), the United States of America (U.S.A.) and members of the international community to note the abuse of human rights in Nigeria, especially the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement made available to The Guardian, yesterday, Congress alleged that Kanu was “abducted”, contrary to the Federal Government’s claim that he was extradited.
The statement signed by the Chairman, Prof. Anthony Ejiofor, and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Basil Onwukwe, urged the Federal Government to ensure that Kanu was treated according to the rules and international conventions that guarantee his rights and safety.
“WIC has been briefed on the abduction and arraignment of Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria, and that court hearing is scheduled for July 26, 2021.
“It has been confirmed to us that Kanu, a British citizen, was abducted in a country other than the United Kingdom (UK) to which he travelled on a British passport. This raises the spectre of illegal abduction and international gangsterism, which violate the process of extradition,” the congress stated.
It urged the British government to stand in defence of her citizen’s rights, by investigating the collusion of any other party in the saga.
The Igbo at home and abroad, WIC added, should see Kanu’s ordeal as a “continuation of different strokes for different folks,” which characterised the Muhammadu Buhari government’s handling of national issues.
“The world has taken notice of the disparity in the treatment of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, who have been designated as terrorists by known international agencies. These killers are routinely arrested, released, compensated and often absorbed into the Nigerian security services. On the other hand, the Igbo have been subjected to shoot-on-sight order, arrests and abduction,” it alleged.
“We would like to emphasise that no government in the world or any international security agency has designated IPOB as a terrorist organisation, and Kanu is not in any terrorist watchlist anywhere in the work,” the statement read in part.
Urging Igbo people to remain calm, the congress assured them that their rights would be protected and that none would be subjugated.
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