Nnamdi Kanu, the imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been permitted by a British Court of Appeal to appeal a ruling regarding his extraordinary rendition from Kenya two years ago.
Kanu was brought back to the country in June 2021. He is currently on trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja for treasonable crime and terrorism.
Kingsley Kalu, the activist’s brother who brought the lawsuit, criticized the way Liz Truss, Dominic Raab, and James Cleverly handled the case of the IPOB leader.
On March 23, a British High Court denied the Kanu family’s request for judicial review of the British government’s decision to remain neutral about the activist’s extraordinary rendition.
Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday, said Lord Justice Lewis granted the application on May 8.
The judge had since fixed June 22 for the hearing of the appeal.
He said: “The grounds of appeal raise important issues concerning the scope of the obligations on the respondent in relation to requests for consular assistance in respect of British nationals detained abroad and the proper interpretation and application of the decision of the Court of Appeal in R(Abassi) v Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office [2003] UKHRR 76.
“For those reasons, there is a compelling reason for the appeal to be heard, within the meaning of CPR 52.6(1)(b). Permission is granted on all three grounds.”