Kenyan Ambassador says country was not involved in Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, extradition
Kenya has dismissed claims that it was involved in the arrest and extradition to Nigeria of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Nigerian government had earlier this week announced the arrest and extradition of Kanu back to Nigeria to face charges from which he had jumped bail and fled the country.
Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister, had hinted that Kanu was arrested last Sunday by what he described as a “combined operation of Nigerian and foreign security services.”
Nnamdi Kanu’s family and IPOB had earlier accused the Kenyan government of having committed the most serious violation of international law because of Kenya’s alleged involvement in the incident which they claimed took place in Kenya with the active connivance of the Kenyan authorities.
Ambassador Wilfred Machage, Kenya’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, however, refuted the claims on Friday in Abuja stressing that his country was never involved in the Kanu saga.
According to the ambassador, it is not true that the Kenyan government was involved in the episode, as the government said they could not ascertain whether the arrest of Kanu took place in the country.
The British High Commission in Nigeria had similarly denied speculations that the IPOB leader was arrested or extradited from the UK, where he is a citizen.
