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Foreign Affairs Committee Urges UK Govt To Intervene In Kanu’s Case

Published

3 years ago

April 14, 2023

British Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) has asked the United Kingdom Government to intervene in the matter of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who has been incarcerated by Nigeria’s secret police since June 2021.

According to a report by FAC, which was revealed to Vanguard by Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barr Aloy Ejimakor, on Friday, the UK government must act on recommendations that will favour Kanu as a British national.

The report said, “Foreign Affairs Committee issues damning report into the UK government’s failure to assist British nationals abroad as Kanu family appeals High Court judgment on challenge to two years of FCDO hand-wringing

“The Foreign Affairs Committee (“FAC”) has published a damning report, concluding that the UK government is failing to prevent “Abductor states” from “weaponising [the] citizenship of British nationals for geopolitical ends”.

“The report draws on evidence provided by the Kanu family in relation to British national Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (“IPOB”), who was abducted and tortured in Kenya by the Nigerian security forces and subject to extraordinary rendition to Nigeria in June 2021, where he has remained in detention ever since.

“The publication of the report is timely, as the Kanu family are about to appeal against the UK High Court judgment that the FCDO can lawfully evade reaching any conclusion on whether Mr Kanu has been subject to extraordinary rendition.

“The report makes various recommendations to combat the UK government’s failure to effectively assist British nationals like Mr Kanu, who find themselves subject to gross violations of their human rights abroad. The following recommendations are directly relevant to Mr Kanu’s case, though his family are fearful that the proposed policy reforms may come too late to help him.

“The report recommends: Whereas in Mr Kanu’s case – there is a UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinion that a detention of a UK citizen is illegal, the FCDO should assume that the case will not be judged in line with international standards and should respond accordingly.

“The Government should as a matter of practice promote public acceptance of the Opinion (‘Conclusions and recommendations’, paragraph 4). The report notes that in Mr Kanu’s case, the UK government has not issued any comment on the UNWGAD’s unequivocal finding that Mr Kanu has been subject to arbitrary detention (footnote 31).

“Within the next 12 months, the Government should formalise and publish guidance outlining criteria for determining whether the detention of a UK national by a foreign state is considered arbitrary. A review should then be carried out of all UK nationals detained overseas according to the established criteria.

“The conclusions on the nature of the detention should be used to classify the case internally, in discussions with the family and, where appropriate, publicly (‘Conclusions and recommendations’, paragraph 2).

“The Kanu family support this recommendation as it has emerged from Mr Kanu’s judicial review challenge that the UK government does not have any specific policy to deal with British nationals subject to extraordinary rendition abroad.

“The FCDO should have a “central repository” for information on cases of arbitrary detention, detailing processes followed and learning gained, and should adopt a “systematic approach to all cases, not simply a sample” (‘Conclusions and recommendations’, paragraph 9). The majority of families who provided evidence towards the FAC on behalf of loved ones detained abroad described a “consistent feeling of a lack of transparency” from the FCDO and “inadequate” communication regarding the FCDO’s efforts to assist their loved ones (paragraph 70).

“The report notes Mr Kanu’s family’s concerns that although they have had regular communication with the FCDO, “this might not have been forthcoming had their legal representation not requested it” (paragraph 75).

“Within the next 12 months, the UK government should undertake appropriate consultation to establish the position of Director for Arbitrary and Complex Detentions, with a mandate including “coordinating the response to certain cases, providing a point of contact for families, convening a cross-government response, and coordinating the UK’s response to the multilateral efforts to address state hostage taking and arbitrary detention with a relentless focus on them. The postholder should have a direct line to the Prime Minister.”

“The presumption that “quiet diplomacy” is always appropriate throughout cases of state detention “is a false one” and the UK Government should use “the strongest possible language to call out” situations of state detention (‘Conclusions and recommendations’, paragraph 19).

“This is particularly notable in Mr Kanu’s case where the FCDO has repeatedly asserted, without any explanation, that the diplomatic approach it is adopting is appropriate, despite there being no tangible improvement in his case after nearly two years.

“The UK Government must use every means at its disposal to secure the basic level of consular access it commits to provide for its nationals and that it is entitled to under international law—regardless of the perceived legitimacy of the charges or rigour of the legal system.”

The report notes that “This could include imposing a political cost (such as delaying negotiation on other bilateral issues), walking out of speeches given by offending countries, or exploring legal options through the various international treaty mechanisms” (‘Conclusions and recommendations’, paragraph 24).

“This is essential in Mr Kanu’s case, where he has received limited and infrequent consular access.

“Reflecting on the report, Kingsley Kanu, the brother of Nnamdi Kanu, said: “For nearly two years now, our family have been pressing the UK government to take more robust action to assist my brother.

“However, the UK government has responded by wringing its hands, procrastinating and offering platitudes rather than action that makes a difference.

“The government has not been willing to even reach a conclusion, privately or publicly, on whether Nnamdi has been subject to extraordinary rendition and has constantly told us that the approach it is taking is the most appropriate one.

“It is satisfying to us that the FAC has called into question the FCDO’s blanket approach of ‘quiet diplomacy’ and has been critical of the level of protection the FCDO currently offers to British nationals detained abroad. We hope that the FCDO will take the recommendations into consideration and will reconsider its approach to my brother’s case in light of them.”

It disclosed that Mr Kanu’s family is represented by John Halford and Shirin Marker of Bindmans LLP, together with Charlotte Kilroy QC of Blackstone Chambers and Tatyana Eatwell of Doughty Street Chambers.

Ms Marker said, “The FAC’s report is a damning indictment of the government’s efforts to assist British nationals subject to serious violations abroad and unfortunately reflects the experience of Mr Kanu’s family in trying to engage the FCDO in his case. We welcome the FAC’s insightful recommendations and hope that the UK government will take immediate steps to implement them.

“In criticizing the blanket ‘quiet diplomacy’ approach adopted by the FCDO the report demonstrates further that the FCDO’s current position is untenable. We hope the FCDO will rethink it in the light of the report but are ready to put our concerns to the Court of Appeal if it will not do so.”

VANGUARD

News

Reps Raise Alarm Over N1.65trn In PIA Funds Denied To N’Delta

Published

3 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

The House of Representatives Committee on South South Development Commission (SSDC) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s failure to implement two key Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) funds, saying it has denied the Niger Delta an estimated N1.65 trillion earmarked for environmental cleanup and decommissioning of obsolete oil facilities since 2021.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Julius Gbabojör Pondi, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session at the National Assembly, which examined the continued dormancy of the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund and the Environmental Remediation Fund, both mandated under the PIA.

The session brought together representatives from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), SSDC, and the supervising Ministries of Petroleum and Environment, with the aim of establishing a coordinated framework to activate the funds.

According to Pondi, the data presented to the committee indicate that the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund should have accrued between N850 billion and N1.1 trillion, while the Environmental Remediation Fund should have amassed between N420 billion and N550 billion if properly operationalised since 2021.

He described the delay as a serious breach of environmental justice and a threat to sustainable development in the Niger Delta, noting that the funds were intended to hold oil and gas companies fully accountable for decommissioning outdated infrastructure and rehabilitating degraded ecosystems.

“These funds were created to prevent the shifting of environmental liabilities to local communities. Yet, four years after the enactment of the PIA, they remain dormant, leaving farmlands polluted, rivers contaminated, fisheries depleted, and communities exposed to health hazards,” Pondi said.

The lawmaker criticised the lack of transparency and operational progress from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), calling it a demonstration of institutional incapacity.

He warned that continued failures could prompt the creation of a new dedicated agency to ensure proper administration of the funds.

Pondi reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to oversight and insisted that legislative instruments must deliver tangible benefits to host communities.

“The National Assembly cannot continue to look away while environmental liabilities multiply and communities suffer. The era of shifting cleanup responsibilities to impoverished communities must end,” he said.

In other news, drama erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, launched a stinging critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the worsening insecurity across the country.

He declared that Parliament should be shut down if the government fails to restore order and peace in volatile areas.

Doguwa, who spoke during a special plenary session convened to review Nigeria’s national security situation, said the nation was engaged in a full-scale war against humanity, insisting that the government’s best efforts were no longer sufficient.

While acknowledging ongoing operations by security agencies, the former Majority Leader said President Tinubu’s government had fallen short of its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, especially in the North, where he described the situation as devastating, unspeakable and tragically unbearable.

He warned that the deepening security crisis marked by banditry, kidnappings, terrorism and attacks on communities risked derailing political stability ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that there was now a “calculated attempt to demoralise the Nigerian state.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am therefore prepared to say that no matter what the government does—my government, led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC government, my party and despite all the submissions and efforts of the security agencies through their respective chairmen, I want to say that yes, the government is doing its best, the security agencies are doing their best, but with every sense of responsibility and without any fear of equivocation, their best is not good enough.

“It is not good enough because the security situation in Nigeria today is horrific. Mr. Speaker, our security situation is tragic. The situation, especially in the North where I come from, is devastating.

“Our security situation in Nigeria today is unspeakable. It is unspeakable because our people are left ravaged in tension, fear, and despair, all because we are lacking in institutional and collective responsibility as a government. Mr. Speaker, the fact remains the same.

“I like that everyone of you here says that the responsibility of every democratic or elected government or military governments is fundamentally the security of the lives and property of its own people.

“Mr. Speaker, what we have today is like a failed security system. In my opinion, it is like, to quote the popular Bob Marley in his song from the 1980s, when he was saying: war in the North, war in the West, war in the East, and war down South.”
(GUARDIAN)

News

FG Enlists NYSC Members In Campaign To Fight Small Arms, Light Weapons Proliferation In Northeast

Published

3 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has charged the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across the Northeast sub-region to play an active role in curbing the spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW, across the region.

Northeast Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Adamu (Rtd), gave the charge yesterday at the NYSC Orientation Camps in Potiskum, Yobe state and Maiduguri, Borno state.

Maj:-Gen Adamu (Rtd), represented by Mr. Aminu Saleh Mohammed, Assistant Director of Strategic Communication and Information of the Centre, said the active involvement of youth, especially corps members, would significantly help to tackle insecurity.

He explained that the NCCSALW, established in 2021 under the Office of the National Security Adviser, serves as the institutional framework for regulating and controlling Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria.

While sensitizing the corps members on camp in Yobe state on the dangers of the proliferation of arms and weapons on the society, the Zonal Director said such weapons fuels banditry, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, insurgency and other crimes.

“When you get to your places of primary assignment, be good ambassadors of your parents, NYSC, your state and yourself by reporting anyone in possession or involved in the fabrication of small arms and light weapons,” he urged.

According to him, Small Arms and Light Weapons hinders development, increases black marketers of arms and ammunition, causes undue exposure of young people to armed-violence, heightens transborder insecurity, create fears in the minds of the people and many other vices in the society.

He called on all parents and guardians to take full responsibility of good child upbringing in all ramification, educate children on tolerance and peaceful co-existence and warn against violence.

He advised them to also observe and closely monitor behavioral changes for prompt correction.

Similarly, at the NYSC Orientation camp in Maiduguri, the Centre’s Northeast boss called on scholars and clergymen to teach and sensitize their congregations on the dangers of proliferation of SALW, tolerance and peaceful co-existence.

“They should caution their congregation against the use of illicit SALW, facilitate reconciliation among extremists and victims for successful reintegration and surrendering,” he said.

He also called on the Northeast Coordinators of NYSC to partner with the Centre to establish a Small Arms and Light Weapons Community Development Service (CDS) group in the states, similar to one already operational in Borno.

In their separate reactions, the NYSC Coordinators in Yobe and Borno states, Mr. Edison Ohuoha and Mallam Nasir Bello, welcomed the proposal, assuring that efforts would be made to set up the CDS group to support the campaign.

They promised to work closely with the Centre in order to fight and eradicate the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons within the region by carrying out sensitization in strategic locations.

News

Coup: ECOWAS Suspends Guinea-Bissau

Published

5 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies following the military takeover in the country.

The suspension was announced after an emergency virtual meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, MSC, late Thursday.

The session was chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who also leads the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

In its communiqué, the MSC said the decision was taken in line with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001), stressing that Guinea-Bissau would remain suspended until full and effective constitutional order is restored.

The coup unfolded on Wednesday, barely three days after the country’s contentious presidential and legislative elections.

The mutinous officers halted the electoral process, shut the nation’s borders and stopped the release of official results.

ECOWAS strongly condemned the takeover, describing the detention of several individuals, including incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, widely projected to win the election, as unacceptable.

“The MSC condemns in the strongest terms the coup d’état perpetrated on 26 November 2025 and calls for the immediate restoration of constitutional order,” the statement read.

It also rejected any arrangement that would legitimise the disruption of the democratic process or undermine the will of the people of Guinea-Bissau.

The regional bloc demanded the prompt release of all detained political actors, including President Embaló, electoral officials, and other arrested figures.

ECOWAS also insisted that the electoral commission be allowed to announce the results of Sunday’s vote without interference.

Despite regional pressure, the coup leaders have named the army’s chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as transitional head of state for a one-year period.