…Faults conviction under repealed law, alleges judicial irregularities
…Says appeal filed in June remains unheard
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — The family of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the British Government of failing to secure justice for him, demanding urgent diplomatic action over his continued detention and an appeal it says remains unheard.
The family, in a statement issued on Sunday by Prince Emmanuel Kanu on behalf of the Okwu-Kanu Family, said Britain’s diplomatic engagements had failed to secure Kanu’s release, a hearing of his appeal or a meaningful resolution of the legal issues surrounding his conviction.
Kanu, a British citizen, is serving a life sentence in Nigeria following his conviction in November 2025. His family maintains that the conviction was based on repealed legislation and violates Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits conviction for a criminal offence unless the offence and its penalty are prescribed in a written law.
The family challenged the Nigerian authorities to identify the specific provisions of extant law under which Kanu was convicted, arguing that a savings clause could not substitute for an applicable written-law provision defining the offences and prescribing their penalties.
It described the legal questions surrounding the conviction as fundamental constitutional issues that should not be dismissed as mere technicalities.
The family also questioned Kanu’s continued detention after the Court of Appeal discharged him and quashed the charges against him in October 2022.
It alleged that he remained in detention for about 14 months after the appellate court’s decision and accused the Federal Government of subsequently prosecuting him on counts it said had already been quashed.
The family further questioned the use of a civil process to stay the execution of the appellate court’s decision, describing the sequence of events as a serious challenge to the rule of law.
It also expressed concern that Kanu’s appeal, which it said was filed and served in June 2026, had yet to be listed for hearing as of October 18.
Demands answers from Britain
The family urged the British Government to move beyond routine consular visits and disclose the concrete steps it had taken to address the case.
It specifically asked whether Kanu’s case had been referred to the United Kingdom’s Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions, appointed in July 2026, and urged the Foreign Secretary to refer it urgently if this had not been done.
Describing the consular contact it had experienced as inadequate, the family said occasional telephone calls to inquire about Kanu’s welfare could not substitute for effective action on the legal and human rights concerns it had raised.
It demanded that Britain press for an early hearing of Kanu’s appeal and seek a lawful resolution of the issues surrounding his detention.
“We demand action, not engagement. We demand answers, not consular visits,” the statement declared.
Invokes Britain’s civil war record
The family also linked Britain’s current handling of Kanu’s case to its historical role in the Nigerian Civil War, accusing the British Government of prioritising strategic interests over Biafra.
Citing a United States intelligence assessment dated August 12, 1969, and parliamentary proceedings of November 17, 1969, it alleged that Britain continued supplying arms to the Nigerian Federal Government during the war despite publicly advocating peace.
It argued that Britain’s response to Kanu’s detention would test its professed commitment to the rule of law and the protection of British citizens abroad.
The family stressed that it was not asking Britain to determine the outcome of Kanu’s appeal but to use its diplomatic influence to ensure that his legal challenges received appropriate attention.
According to the statement, Kanu remains detained at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, with the family expressing concern about his health and prolonged loss of liberty.
The family called on the British and Nigerian governments to provide clear answers on the legal basis of his conviction, the status of his appeal and the steps being taken to address the issues raised.
The allegations and legal interpretations in the statement represent the family’s position.
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