The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the British government of applying double standards in its handling of citizens detained abroad, following the return of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah to the United Kingdom after a pardon by Egyptian authorities.
In a statement on Sunday, IPOB contrasted the swift diplomatic intervention that secured Abd el-Fattah’s release with what it described as years of silence over the continued detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a dual British-Nigerian citizen currently held in Nigeria.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had publicly welcomed Abd el-Fattah’s return on December 26, calling it a “profound relief” and noting that the case was a priority for his government. IPOB, however, said no such urgency has been shown in Kanu’s case, despite what it claims are multiple legal rulings declaring his arrest, rendition and detention unlawful.
Kanu was arrested in 2021 following what IPOB describes as an extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria. Since then, the group says he has remained in custody despite judgments from Nigerian courts, a Kenyan court and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calling for his release or questioning the legality of his trial.
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, argued that Britain’s limited response amounts to discrimination, questioning why stronger diplomatic pressure has not been applied in Kanu’s case. The group also cited historical grievances, linking the issue to Britain’s colonial legacy in southeastern Nigeria and the Igbo people’s long struggle for justice and self-determination.
The group called on the United Kingdom to apply the same level of advocacy it showed in Abd el-Fattah’s case, and urged international bodies including the United Nations, African Union, European Union and the United States to increase pressure on Nigeria to secure Kanu’s release.
“Justice must be blind and equal,” IPOB said, insisting that Britain cannot celebrate the freedom of one activist while another of its citizens remains in detention despite multiple rulings questioning the legality of his imprisonment.
