Kanu Family Blames UK for IPOB Leader’s Continued Detention

The family of Nnamdi Kanu has accused the British government of playing a quiet but active role in the continued detention of the IPOB leader.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, the family said Britain’s silence and actions show complicity and betrayal.

They spoke through Emmanuel Kanu, who expressed deep frustration over what they described as the UK’s historical pattern of turning its back on the Igbo people. The family said that while the methods may have changed since the civil war, the attitude remains the same. They pointed to British arms support during the 1967-70 war, which resulted in the deaths of millions of Biafrans, and now say the same government is doing little to stop what they call illegal acts against Kanu.

Kanu, a British citizen, was reportedly abducted in Kenya and brought to Nigeria under circumstances his family insists violate international law. They questioned why British consular officials in Nairobi remained silent during the time of his arrest and why the UK Foreign Office has not made any strong diplomatic intervention. The family argued that silence in this matter amounts to approval.

The Kanu family said UK consular officials visited the IPOB leader while he was in DSS custody and were directly asked why he was being prosecuted in Nigeria over broadcasts made in the UK. According to them, the officials had no real answer. Soon after that meeting, Nigeria reportedly amended its charges to remove references to London, a move the family believes was done with either the advice or quiet approval of British authorities.

They also claimed that despite IPOB not being banned in the UK and no court ruling there labeling it illegal, the British government has refused to object to the Nigerian trial. The family says this silence contradicts international standards and laws, including the UK Extradition Act and Commonwealth treaties.

The family insists the UK has interfered—not by helping Kanu, but by doing nothing to stop what they call a chain of illegal actions. They accuse the British government of trying to erase its responsibility and protect its political ties with Nigeria.

They are now demanding that the UK publicly admit its role, call for Kanu’s return to Kenya or the UK, and stop supporting his trial in Nigeria. They are also calling for a parliamentary investigation into the actions of the British High Commissions in Nairobi and Abuja.

The family said if anything happens to Kanu, Britain will bear the blame—not for failing to act, but for choosing the wrong side. According to them, this is not just a legal failure but a moral one, and they want the world to take note.