Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has insisted that the Nigerian government lied over Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB’s repatriation back to the country.
Falana claimed that Kanu may have been drugged after he was rearrested before he was smuggled back to Nigeria
Nigerian government had rearrested Kanu in an African country and repatriated to Nigeria.
The rearrest of the IPOB leader was disclosed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Malami said Kanu was brought back to Nigeria to continue his trial before an Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako.
However, Falana said such an act was against the constitution of Nigeria.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria spoke at the 13th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series to commemorate his 87th birthday, on Tuesday.
He also urged Nigerians to prevent attempts by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to take the country back to the 1984 era.
Falana said the treatment meted out to Kanu and Sunday Igboho was similar to what happened to a former Presidential Adviser, Umaru Dikko in 1984 when he was kidnapped in London.
He said: “We should not allow Buhari’s government take us back to 1984 when an attempt was made to kidnap Umaru Diko in London. He had already been kidnapped and on the way to the airport, a neighbour saw them and raised an alarm after witnessing the inhuman treatment he was subjected to.
“In the case of Kanu, Kenyan government cannot admit that on their soil a Nigerian was taken out of the country without going through the legal process. It’s likely they drugged him to sleep and brought him back to Nigeria.
“That is against the anti-torture act and Nigeria’s constitution. Therefore, those who say they brought Kanu back through some international collaboration are not telling the truth. Interpol cannot deport without due process.”
