IPOB Accuses UK Government of Double Standards Over Treatment of British Nationals Detained Abroad

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the British Government of applying double standards in its handling of British citizens detained abroad, following the recent release of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah from Egyptian custody.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB contrasted the United Kingdom’s public and diplomatic efforts that led to Abd el-Fattah’s release with what it described as limited intervention on behalf of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a dual British-Nigerian citizen currently detained in Nigeria.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had welcomed Abd el-Fattah’s return to Britain on December 26, describing his freedom as a “profound relief” and a “top priority” for his government after years of detention in Egypt.

However, IPOB argued that the British Government has not shown comparable urgency in addressing Kanu’s case, despite international and domestic court rulings that have questioned the legality of his arrest and detention.

Background to Kanu’s Detention

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in June 2021 and returned to Nigeria following what IPOB and several judicial bodies have described as an extraordinary rendition from Kenya. Since then, multiple legal decisions have raised concerns about due process.

According to IPOB, these include:

A Federal High Court ruling in October 2022 ordering the Nigerian government to halt Kanu’s trial, pay damages, and facilitate his return to Kenya.

A Court of Appeal judgment in October 2022 that discharged and acquitted Kanu on the grounds that his rendition violated international law and deprived Nigerian courts of jurisdiction.

An opinion by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2022, which found Kanu’s detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release and compensation.

A Kenyan High Court ruling in June 2025, which declared his abduction and transfer to Nigeria unlawful and awarded damages.

Despite these decisions, Kanu remains in custody following a November 2025 Federal High Court conviction and life sentence, a ruling that IPOB and some legal commentators have criticized as legally flawed. The Nigerian government maintains that Kanu is being lawfully tried for offenses related to national security.

Concerns Over Consular Protection

IPOB contends that the UK has not exerted sufficient diplomatic pressure on Nigeria to comply with court rulings relating to Kanu’s detention, describing the response as inconsistent with Britain’s stated commitment to protecting its citizens and upholding international law.

The group further questioned whether religious or geopolitical considerations influenced the differing levels of advocacy, a claim the UK government has not addressed publicly.

Call for International Intervention

IPOB urged international bodies—including the United Nations, African Union, European Union, and the United States—to press Nigeria to comply with existing judicial decisions relating to Kanu’s case.

It also called on British lawmakers, civil society organizations, and members of the Igbo diaspora to advocate for what it described as equal treatment under international human rights standards.

Speaking on behalf of IPOB, Emma Powerful said the organization would continue to pursue “peaceful, legal, and diplomatic advocacy” until the matter is resolved.

UK Position

The British Government has previously stated that it continues to provide consular assistance to Kanu but has emphasized that it must respect Nigeria’s judicial process. IPOB, however, argues that the scale of intervention falls short of what has been demonstrated in other high-profile cases.