Protesters take over British High Commission over Nnamdi Kanu

It was a total lockdown in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, when thousands of protesters stormed the British High Commission to demand the extradition of Nnamdi Kanu, of the Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB], back to Nigeria.

The protest led by the Advocates of Social Justice For All [ASJA], was a follow up to their earlier demand for the United Kingdom to extradite Kanu to face charges in the law court. Abuja, Nigeria-The placard-carrying protesters expressed their disappointment with the UK government that despite the ‘overwhelming evidence’ that Kanu is currently hiding in the country after the Embassy feigned ignorance on the whereabouts of the IPOB leader.

The Executive Director of ASJA, Patriot Venatius Asongo, who was at the head of the protest, wondered why the UK has refused to extradite Kanu after former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, had claimed that Kanu fled to London through Malaysia.

Asongo posited that the stance of ASJA was informed by the knowledge that the UK was instrumental to the escape of Kanu only to turn around to ask the Nigerian authorities for clarification on the state and status of IPOB leader.

Addressing newsmen during the well-attended protest, Asongo wondered why the UK had no qualms with its citizen peddling hate speech and directing IPOB members that allegedly bombed innocent citizens in Delta State, burnt a police station and killed a policeman in Abia State, attacked troops on official assignment, raped women, extorted traders, robbed and committed other atrocities against humanity.

“It is most Satanic of the UK to continue according Kanu celebrity treatment when it cannot condone its own equivalent of IPOB. National Action, NS131, and Scottish Dawn are proscribed as extremist groups in the UK even when they have not committed a tenth of the atrocities IPOB has unleashed on helpless Nigerians.

There was a clampdown on members of National Action, NS131, and Scottish Dawn but no country has interfered in the UK’s internal affairs and freedom to run its own business. Yet, we are not allowed to promptly address a growing terror group among us when extremist groups are getting the sledgehammer treatment in London.

We find this not only irresponsible but also an attempt to precipitate a crisis in Nigeria and catapault IPOB into something as ferocious as ISIS. In our view, this calls for concern because it implies that the UK is desirous of plunging Nigeria into a crisis so that it can again return as a colonial master.

The group insisted that the High Commission of the United Kingdom must immediately hand over Kanu to face charges leveled against him. “As we make this demand, may we also specify that the High Commission returns the fugitive terrorist alive; its request for a status update on Kanu flags its potential to kill or maim him for any possible set of objectives,” Asongo said on behalf of the group.