Lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, has cautioned that the Federal Government’s reported move to seek the death penalty against his client could trigger serious diplomatic and legal consequences between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Ejimakor’s reaction follows reports that the Federal Government filed a cross-appeal seeking to increase Kanu’s potential punishment from life imprisonment to capital punishment if convicted in the ongoing terrorism trial.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ejimakor argued that because Kanu is a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, any attempt to impose the death penalty on him would inevitably attract international scrutiny and diplomatic intervention from the British government.
According to him, the United Kingdom maintains a firm and longstanding policy against capital punishment under any circumstance and actively opposes the death penalty worldwide.
“British citizens convicted abroad are not subject to death penalty without attracting significant diplomatic consequences,” Ejimakor stated.
The lawyer noted that if a British citizen faces capital punishment in a foreign country, the UK government is obligated through diplomatic and consular channels to intervene, escalating its involvement beyond routine monitoring of legal proceedings.
He further warned that such a development could extend beyond bilateral relations between Nigeria and Britain, potentially drawing reactions from other Western nations that share the UK’s opposition to capital punishment.
Ejimakor maintained that pursuing the death penalty against Kanu could generate wider diplomatic repercussions, including pressure on Nigeria’s international relationships, trade engagements, and cooperation agreements with countries that advocate the abolition of capital punishment.
The Federal Government is yet to officially respond to the concerns raised by Kanu’s lawyer.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention and is currently facing terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja. His trial continues to attract widespread local and international attention, with legal arguments increasingly extending beyond domestic courts into the realm of international law and diplomacy.
