BREAKING! Nnamdi Kanu: British lawyers drag Kenya to ICC, give Buhari govt 48 hours ultimatum

A group of British attorneys of Igbo descent has threatened to take Kenya's government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for detaining British citizen Nnamdi Kanu and then handing him over to the Nigerian government.

The Coalition also issued Nigeria's government a 48-hour deadline to release Nnamdi Kanu, return him to the UK, and follow the proper extradition procedures.

Kenyan police seized and detained Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who was ultimately given over to the Nigerian government.

Barrister Ebuka Okoroafor signed the lawyers' declaration, accusing the Kenyan government of violating the IPOB leader's human rights because he entered the country on British passports.

“Coalition of Igbo-British lawyers condemns the illegal detention and subsequent handing over of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the Nigerian government by the Kenyan Government,” the Coalition statement said.

They described as archaic and illegal the action of the Kenyan Government, adding, “It is worthy of note to mention that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu entered Kenya with his British passport, and the Kenyan government is fully aware of his citizenship status but still went ahead to perpetrate their illegal act which does not only breach the personal human rights of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu but also undermine the sovereignty of the British government,” the statement read in part.

The Coalition warned that the Nigerian government's failure to liberate Kanu and return him to the UK will be interpreted as a declaration of war against the IPOB leader and his group, as well as the entire Igbo people.

“While this serves as a pre-action notice to the Kenyan Government as we shall be heading to the International Criminal Court to rectify the injustice done as it is trite law that injustice to one is injustice to all, we are also by this medium informing the Nigerian Government that they have 48 hours to return Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the United Kingdom.

“And if he has any charges to answer to, they should as a nation that is governed by the constitution, pass through the legal means of filing an extradition notice.”

Nnamdi Kanu must not be subjected to any form of bodily harm, according to the organisation.

The UK government had previously stated that it would communicate with the Buhari administration regarding Kanu's detention.