It is no longer news that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra is under the custody of the Nigerian Department of State Security Service, DSS following a series of allegations leveled against him by the Nigerian government that the secessionist leader is behind the unrest in the southeast region of Nigeria.
Nnamdi has since been charged to court and facing trials over several charges against him by the Nigerian government. An earlier report showed that the IPOB leader had requested the United State and the British Government to send representatives to observe his court trial in Nigeria that is scheduled to hold on January 18th, 19th, and 20, at the division of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, in what appeared to be a hope lost for Nnamdi Kanu, the US and UK government has declined the request made by the IPOB leader as the United State government claimed it was limiting its officials from attending public events, and the British on the other hand made it known that it does not often attend a court case that has to do with a British national.
According to the source, the United States Embassy and the British High Commission made these known in separate responses to interviews last week.
The lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had last week, submitted a request to the United State and United Kingdom commissions in Nigeria, where he stressed that the presence of their officials at the court would bring about a fair hearing of the case involving his client. Nnamdi Kanu is said to have been confronted with a seven-count amended charge against him by the Nigerian Government.
In the letter titled, ‘ Request for delegate(s)/representative(s) to observe court proceedings …In Re: Charge NO. FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, the Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Nnamdi Kanu’, Kanu’s Lawyer stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria has an uncommon interest in the case made against Nnamdi Kanu and whatever may be the outcome of the trial, hence the presence of foreign representative will ensure fairness.
However, the United States Government, which had earlier claimed that it is monitoring the trial closely, has confirmed that its officials would not attend the court. In the US statement, ” The United States Mission in Nigeria is following the trial of Nnamdi Kanu closely. The United States Department of State is limiting officials from attending public events. “
The British High Commission on the other hand accepted Kanu as its citizen, but said, ” The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office wouldn’t normally attend a court case involving a British national, but in the case to consider it appropriate to attend, our consular official would do so in an observational capacity only. ” That was the final response of the British Mission, the source claimed
