Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Wilfred Machage, has disputed reports that the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was arrested in Kenya.
Machage however asked people peddling the rumour to instead question the Nigerian Federal Government on how Nnamdi Kanu was arrested and repatriated.
He also challenged anyone with evidence linking Kenya to the arrest to come forward with such.
Exonerating President Uhuru Kenyatta, the envoy stated; “I wish to categorically state that we are not happy at this ridiculous attempt of dragging the name of Kenya and President Uhuru Kenyatta in this matter of arrest and extradition of the self-proclaimed IPOB leader”.
Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, Kingsley Kanu, had alleged the IPOB leader was arrested in Kenya.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, had on Tuesday disclosed to journalists that Kanu was arrested and brought back to Nigeria on Sunday.
Malami however did not disclose the details of Kanu’s arrest.
There have been different reports on where the IPOB leader was arrested.
However, Dean Hurlock, a spokesperson of the British High Commission, has clarified that Nnamdi Kanu was not arrested in the United Kingdom (UK) where he is based.
“We can confirm that Nnamdi Kanu was not arrested in the UK for extradition purposes”.
A media report (not NewsWireNGR) however claimed that Kanu was arrested in Czech Republic where he was lured to procure arms.
Kanu was not arrested in the UK, British High Commission says
“He was lured there to come and take a large donation of arms,” the media report claimed.
Meanwhile, IPOB members have threatened to cripple Nigeria should anything happen to their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was remanded in the Department of State Service (DSS) by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a statement signed by media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful on Friday, the proscribed group appealed to FG that Nnamdi Kanu should be allowed access to his lawyers, doctors, and family as part of his fundamental human rights.
The statement reads in part;
“Following the refusal of the Nigeria Government and her security agency, the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers and family access to him in the dungeon of DSS secret cell, it is now confirmed that their real intention in arresting him and bundling him back to Nigeria is suspicious.
“The mission they could not actualise on September 14, 2017, when soldiers invaded his Afaraukwu home during Operation Python Dance is what they want to actualise now.
“His health has been deteriorating in the DSS cell as he has refused to eat their food since almost one week they kidnapped him.
“We demand that DSS should allow him access to his lawyers and family members for this is his lawful right. And his lawyers are being harassed and we pity them and Nigeria if anything happen to our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the Nigeria Government and security agencies must understand the product we are made of and how prepared we are.
“Southeast Governors and Ohaneze including politicians in the region must ensure that nothing bad happen to Nnamdi Kanu.
“Nnamdi Kanu must not die in custody!”
