In regards to Kanu’s extradition, the Nigerian government misled Kenya

One of the special counsels to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has accused the Nigerian government of tricking the Kenyan government into extraditing the fugitive to Nigeria rather than the United Kingdom.

Ejimakor noted on his Facebook page on Sunday that Kanu is technically still in Kenya because he entered the East African country on a British passport and, as a result, should have been extradited to the United Kingdom rather than Nigeria.

“Kanu is still technically in Kenya. Yes, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is technically still in Kenya, according to the strictest interpretations of foreign relations legislation as applied to Britain and Kenya. How?

“Whether he was a dual national or not, Kanu left Britain and traveled to Kenya as a British citizen, which Kenya accepted. That’s where it all begins.

“So, if Kanu is admitted to Kenya and then has to be evicted from Kenyan territory (with or without due process), Kenya’s next natural and lawful step is to send him to Britain, not Nigeria.

“Choosing to deport him to Nigeria implies that he could have been deported to any other nation.

“Why? Because Kanu presented himself to Kenya as a British citizen rather than a Nigerian or dual citizen.

“It was plainly a three-way immigration contract between Kanu, the United Kingdom, and Kenya in international law.

“Nigeria was not a party to it, and Nigeria was never considered when Kanu presented himself for admittance at the Kenyan port of entry. It’s referred to as contract privity by lawyers.

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“From the time of Kanu’s kidnapping to the infamous rendition, Kenya found no other travel document that could’ve linked Kanu’s nationality to anyone other than Britain, including Nigeria. Is it possible that Kanu was admitted to Kenya on the basis of a Nigerian birth certificate?

“As a result, it’s doubtful that Kenya gave Kanu Nigerian citizenship because the kidnapping and rendition’s backers apparently persuaded Kenya that Kanu was born in Nigeria.

“How about the (publicly available) plausible reports that Kanu had abandoned his Nigerian citizenship? If birthplace matters, then renunciation should matter much more.

“Kanu is a 53-year-old man. He has spent 30 years in the United Kingdom and 23 years in Nigeria. His wife and children live in the United Kingdom and are British citizens through birth or naturalization. Kanu lives in the United Kingdom and pays his taxes there.

“As a matter of formal foreign relations law, Kanu is technically still in Kenya, as applied to Britain and Kenya (excluding Nigeria).” How? Because Kenya was the last place where Kanu – a genuine British citizen – was allowed to legally reside.

“In light of the foregoing, the next best step for Britain to take, particularly in light of Nigeria’s intransigence, is to request that Kenya account for the whereabouts of her citizen, Nnamdi Kanu, who was last seen in Kenya on June 19th, 2021, as her Majesty’s subject and a free citizen of Britain, not a criminal suspect.”