The
United Kingdom are seeking to know from the Nigerian Government, the
whereabouts of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
They
British government have asked the Federal government if Nnamdi Kanu who is a
British national is alive or dead.
According
to Punch, the Press Officer, UK high commission in Nigeria, Joe Abuku, stated
that the inquiry followed reports that Kanu had been missing since September
14, 2017 when armed soldiers stormed his residence in Abia State.
Abuku
said this in response to questions from Saturday PUNCH seeking to know UK’s
concern on the missing IPOB leader.
“We
are seeking urgent clarification from the Nigerian authorities about the status
and whereabouts of Mr. Kanu, a British-Nigerian man, who has been reported
missing since September 14,” Abuku stated in an email on Thursday.
Asked
if the UK would strip Kanu of citizenship on account of the declaration by
Nigeria that he was leading a terrorist organisation, the mission said it does
not comment on individual cases.
“One
of the conditions that can make the United Kingdom strip its citizen of
nationality is if the person engages in a terrorist activity at home or abroad.
And Kanu has dual citizenship and therefore a citizen of Nigeria and the UK,”
the mission stated.
When
asked if the UK supported the Nigerian government’s proscription of the IPOB,
Abuku stated that the group was not a proscribed organisation under the British
law.
“The
Indigenous People of Biafra is not a proscribed organisation in the UK,” the
mission spokesperson stressed.
However,
when asked if the group was free to raise funds or hold rallies in Britain,
Abuku said he would need to get an official response on that, but subsequently
declined to respond to the question.
He
also declined comment on whether the IPOB might be designated as a terrorist
group or proscribed by the British authorities.
Abuku
said, “We do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not
under consideration for proscription. A decision to proscribe an organisation
must be based on a belief that it is concerned in terrorism as defined in the
Terrorism Act 2000, and it must be proportionate.”
The
United States had earlier said it did not consider IPOB a terrorist group and
urged Nigerians to de-escalate tension and embrace peaceful resolution of
grievances.
Spokesperson
for the American Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Brooks, had said, “Within the context
of unity, we encourage all Nigerians to support a de-escalation of tension and
peaceful resolution of grievances. The Indigenous People of Biafra is not a
terrorist organisation under US law.”
Source: www.ayola.tv
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