Some diaspora groups have descended heavily on the United Kingdom for maintaining ominous silence in the face of the travails of its citizen, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was unlawfully abducted, tried and eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.
The groups in a joint statement said that it was appalled that Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025 by Justice James Omotosho “under a repealed law” with the UK not raising even an eye brow.
The statement was signed by Dr Sylvester Onyia, President, American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Evans Nwankwo, President, Ambassadors for Self-Determination (ASD), and Maxwell Dede, Director, Rising Sun Foundation (RSF) United States.
The groups noted that the UK Government has never at any time during Kanu’s travails, taken a stand publicly to express its view on the extraordinary rendition of the IPOB leader, illegal detention, trial, and imprisonment.
“The silence of the United Kingdom—custodian of Magna Carta and birthplace of modern human rights law—is deeply troubling,” the groups stated.
According to them, for the Government of the United Kingdom to have allowed its own citizen to suffer at the hands of a foreign government under illegal circumstances, leaves much to be desired.
The diaspora groups accused the UK of “selective application of rule of law standards” in the case of Kanu given that the UK has historically been vocal on issues of rights abuses by foreign governments.
They reminded the UK of its strident voice during the travails of Alexei Navalny (Russia),
Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar), Jimmy Lai (Hong Kong), and Julian Assange (Australia/US).
“Yet for Kanu, a British national facing rendition, torture, illegal detention, and conviction under a repealed law, the UK has chosen silence,” the groups lamented.
“This selective approach undermines Britain’s credibility as a champion of human rights and due process.
“Silence fuels distrust and reinforces a belief that the UK prioritizes geopolitical convenience over justice,” the groups stated.
They also pointed out that the resounding silence from London has further deepened the perception about British bias against Igbo self-determination movements, and evidence of historic ethnic hostility towards the Igbo in the Nigeria project.
“The Igbo diaspora perceives the UK’s failure to protect Kanu—coupled with Omotosho’s fabricated allegations of threats against UK/US missions—as part of a pattern of calculating neglect, reminiscent of Britain’s 1967–1970 role during the Biafran War,” the statement read.
The groups recalled that that it was on November 11. 2025 that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) last engaged Nigeria, urging for “fair trial standards” and consular access.
However, they regretted that “since the life sentence, there has been no statement, no parliamentary briefing, no diplomatic protest, and no sanctioning of Nigerian officials”.
“This silence stands in stark contrast to the UK’s response to cases involving far less egregious violations”, the groups said, adding that “the UK’s indifference reads as tacit endorsement of a sham process”.
They unequivocally stated that “the UK is failing its own citizen, violating its duty of diplomatic protection” by not offering protection to its citizen (Kanu) when he was abducted abroad in June 2021.
The groups said that the UK was expected to have offered explanation for its failure to condemn the international abduction of its citizen, demand compliance with the 2022 appellate discharge.
Furthermore, the British Government was yet to explain why it didn’t kick against Kanu’s trial under a repealed terrorism statute, and has failed to respond “to the fabricated claims in Omotosho’s judgment, including false allegations that Kanu threatened UK/US missions”
While arguing that the international image of the UK is at stake as silence on Kanu’s matter weakens the UK moral authority in future human rights cases, the Igbo diaspora organisations urged UK to remedy the bad situation.
To this end, they insisted that London “must issue a public statement acknowledging serious concerns” about unlawful rendition, trial under a repealed law, ignoring the binding Court of Appeal judgment, and the “allegations of fabricated evidence in Omotosho’s ruling”.
The groups said that the UK should not hide under the cover of “it’s Nigeria’s internal matters” given that Kanu, who is the victim of rights abuses and flawed judicial trial is a British citizen.
