The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged the British Government to use diplomatic channels to press Nigeria to hear the pending appeal of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, without further delay.
In a statement on Monday, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful called on the British Government to engage Nigerian authorities over the delay in hearing Kanu’s appeal and related cases.
The group questioned Britain’s response to Kanu’s legal situation, arguing that its policy of assisting British nationals detained abroad when internationally accepted standards are not met should guide its engagement with Nigeria.
IPOB also asked the British Government to clarify whether Kanu’s treatment complies with international standards on legality, due process and fundamental human rights.
The group outlined five issues it wants Britain to address, including Kanu’s rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021, the Court of Appeal’s judgment of October 13, 2022, his conviction in November 2025, the status of certain charges and the delay in hearing his appeal.
On Kanu’s rendition, IPOB cited Opinion No. 25/2022 of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which it said called for his immediate release.
The group also questioned the subsequent legal proceedings against Kanu, citing the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which discharged him on specified counts.
IPOB further challenged the legal basis of his conviction, arguing that the terrorism legislation underpinning the charges had been repealed.
It cited Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates that a person cannot be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence and its penalty are prescribed in written law.
The group also questioned the inclusion of charges it said had previously been discharged by the Court of Appeal, insisting that their status required clarification in the ongoing legal proceedings.
On the delay in hearing Kanu’s appeal, IPOB urged the British Government to make diplomatic representations to Nigeria to ensure that the case is heard promptly.
It maintained that such representations on due process, human rights and delays in judicial proceedings would not amount to interference in Nigeria’s judicial independence.
According to the group, it is not asking Britain to dictate the outcome of the case but to use its diplomatic engagement to encourage the timely hearing of the appeal.
IPOB called on the British Government to press Nigerian authorities to list and hear Kanu’s appeal, alongside related cases before the relevant courts, without further delay.
Kanu was convicted on terrorism-related charges in November 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His legal team has challenged the conviction.
IPOB said Britain should demonstrate its commitment to protecting its citizens by seeking a prompt hearing of the pending appeal.
The post IPOB Urges Britain To Press Nigeria Over Kanu’s Delayed Appeal appeared first on OsunDefender.
