A United States citizen and legal practitioner, Bruce Fein, special counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, demanding enforcement of the United Nations, UN, Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Commission.
Newsonline reports that the letter followed the silence of the British envoy and the Nigerian government to implement the decision of the UN, Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Commission mandating the Federal government to release the IPOB leader immediately.
UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Commission after its investigation on the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya by the Federal government in its report on July 20 gave the Nigerian government within six months to release the IPOB leader.
The letter from Bruce Fein, came on what he described as Britain’s silence following the illegal detention of its citizen.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu holds British citizenship, the IPOB leader was also arrested in Kenya while in the country, Kenya, as a citizen of Britain.
The letter which was made available by Aloy Ejimako, also Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer read in part, “Once upon a time, the United Kingdom fiercely defended its citizens against lawlessness by foreign nations.
“It fought the War of Jenkins Ear in 1739 with Spain over an amputated ear of a British Captain by Spanish coast guards in the West Indies.
“Nnamdi Kanu is a British citizen. He has suffered far more than Captain Jenkins at the hands of Nigeria and Kenya as corroborated and held by the U.N. Working Group.
“Yet you have done nothing to secure Mr. Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release as mandated by international law.”
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Fein further accused the British envoy, Laing of embarrassing the United Kingdom and the cause of human rights by her idle silence.
“Indeed, you have idled like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. You cannot claim ignorance. A copy of the crystal-clear Working Group Opinion is before you.
“You are embarrassing the United Kingdom and the cause of human rights. Think of the stupendous contrast. The United States is moving heaven and earth to obtain the release of a United States basketball player from Russia after she pled guilty to a drug violation.
“It has offered to trade a notorious imprisoned arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Britney Griner’s freedom.
“Nnamdi Kanu, unlike Mr. Griner, is innocent. He has not been convicted of any crime. Indeed, he is a victim of multiple crimes perpetrated by Nigerian and Kenyan authorities.
“Yet you and your superiors continue to permit Mr. Kanu to suffer in a Nigerian dungeon in flagrant violation of international law.
“I would respectfully request that you inform me promptly of the steps you have taken or contemplate taking to secure Nigeria’s compliance with the Working Group Opinion calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s immediate, unconditional release and reparations.
“Nothing would gratify me more than for you to earn an honored chapter in the annals of human rights and international law,” the letter read.
