The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused the United Kingdom, UK, and the country’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, of double standards in their treatment of British nationals facing detention abroad.
IPOB, in a statement by its spokesman Emma Powerful on Sunday, made the accusation while reacting to the UK government’s intervention in the detention of a British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah — a Muslim pro-democracy campaigner.
IPOB noted that the UK government failed to intervene in the case of Nnamdi Kanu, who holds a British passport.
The statement said, “On December 26, 2025, Prime Minister Starmer publicly expressed delight at the return to the UK of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah — a Muslim pro-democracy campaigner — following his pardon and release from Egyptian detention, describing it as a “profound relief” and a “top priority” for his government. Yet, for over four years, the same government has offered only minimal consular support to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu — a dual British-Nigerian citizen and Judeo-Christian advocate for peaceful self-determination — who was subjected to extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021, tortured, and detained in violation of international law.
“At no time has Britain prevailed upon Nigeria to obey the multiple judicial decisions condemning Kanu’s rendition and ordering his release.
“This selective advocacy raises profound questions about consistency in protecting British citizens. Had Mazi Nnamdi Kanu been Muslim, it is inconceivable that the UK would have remained passive in the face of his unlawful abduction, sham proceedings, and recent vindictive life sentence.
“Britain cannot publicly celebrate the freedom of one activist as a ‘top priority’ while offering mere statements for another British citizen whose detention has been ruled arbitrary and unlawful by the UN and multiple courts — especially when the disparity appears tied to faith and geopolitical alignment. Justice must be blind and equal. We demand fairness, transparency, and the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement said.
IPOB further noted that Kanu’s abduction and ongoing detention have been declared unlawful by authoritative bodies including a Federal High Court, which in a judgment on October 26, 2022, ordered the Nigerian government to return Kanu to Kenya, halt his trial, and pay N500 million in damages for the unlawful abduction and violation of his rights.
It added that the Court of Appeal, in its judgment of October 13, 2022 (Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022), discharged and acquitted Kanu, ruling that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya without due process violated international law and stripped Nigerian courts of jurisdiction to try him.
The statement also pointed out that the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in Opinion No. 25/2022 (adopted April 2022, published July 20, 2022), found Kanu’s deprivation of liberty arbitrary under multiple categories, in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Also, IPOB cited the verdict of a Kenyan High Court, which in June 2025, declared Kanu’s abduction, incommunicado detention, and transfer to Nigeria unlawful and unconstitutional, awarding him compensatory damages.
The pro-Biafra group expressed concern that despite these binding findings, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention following his “controversial” conviction and life sentence by an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice James Omotosho.
Condemning the action of the British government, IPOB stressed that “the historical context of British hostility towards Biafra and the Igbo race cannot be ignored”.
The statement added, “Britain’s approach reflects unresolved legacies, including resistance to colonial rule such as the Ekumeku movement, the Aba Women’s Uprising of 1929, the Enugu coal miners’ struggles, and the Biafran War — events that underscore the Igbo people’s longstanding quest for dignity and justice.”
IPOB called on the United Nations, African Union, European Union, and United States to press Nigeria for full compliance with the UN Working Group Opinion No. 25/2022, the 2022 Nigerian Court of Appeal judgment, and the Federal High Court Umuahia ruling, including Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release.
It also urged the British Government to provide robust consular and diplomatic intervention commensurate with its efforts in other high-profile cases, including public condemnation of the unlawful rendition and demands for compliance with international rulings.
Equally, IPOB called on British parliamentarians, human rights organizations, faith leaders, and the global Igbo diaspora to amplify calls for justice.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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