Now despite this astounding claim by the Kanu’s camp and denial of any involvement by the Kenyan Government, it is demoralising that till now, only Malami and, perhaps, the few people that collaborated in this odious and internationally embarrassing enterprise can give a coherent narration of the exact legal and diplomatic process (if any) followed by Nigeria to bring Kanu back, since, the AGF has not told us that the IPOB leader was arrested in Nigeria. If indeed Kanu was arrested in Kenya and the Kenyan Government is furiously denying any form of collaboration with Nigeria in the so called “extradition,” does it mean then that Nigerian security officials had sneaked into Kenya and collaborated with some criminal elements in the country to kidnap Kanu and bundle him back to Nigeria? What exactly happened? Why is it taking the AGF’s office too long to recognise the importance of being very transparent about this matter?
This would readily remind Nigerians of the case of late Umar Dikko during the military dictatorship of this same General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984 who was allegedly kidnapped in the United Kingdom and crated as a “diplomatic baggage.” The attempt to bring Dikko to Nigeria in a crate was, however, foiled by the British security agencies. Although Nigeria and their alleged Israeli collaborators never admitted to any involvement, the incident badly affected diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Britain at that time and the people who transported Dikko to the airport were jailed in the UK.
No doubt, this matter is now beyond Nnamdi Kanu. No matter the nature of the offense any Nigerian had committed and the need to bring him to justice, should that justify the deployment of crude, illegal methods and the breaching of international laws to do that? Such actions can only diminish and de-market the country before the civilised world and attract unsavoury consequences. Now, is this the kind of accomplishment an attorney-general and Senior Advocate ought to be seen unabashedly celebrating? By the time Kanu’s lawyers fulfill their promise to drag Nigeria and Kenya to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the matter, what picture will Nigeria assume before the rest of the world? Already the British press is feasting on the story and painting very ugly pictures about Nigeria due to this incident.
So disgusted with the whole process, and in absence of any coherent explanation by the AGF, a Nigerian serving as the Minister of Justice and Solicitor-General of Alberta, Canada, Mr. Kelechi Madu, had to declare that if indeed it was true that Kanu was “abducted in Kenya with the active collaboration of the Kenyan government led by President Uhuru Kenyatta,” then “Nigeria and Kenya violated international law and the rule of law that is supreme in their respective countries.” He went on to underline his doubts about the qualification of Malami for the post of AGF.
Responding to Mr. Madu’s assertions, Malami pronounced: “It is important to educate the likes of Kelechi Madu that both Nigeria (his country of birth) and Canada (where he claims to be practising law) are signatories to the Multinational Treaty Agreement where, among others, fugitive fleeing justice in nations with the similar agreement could be brought back to face justice.”
![[FILES] IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in court](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Nnamdi-Kanu-in-Court.jpg "IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu fails to regain freedom at Supreme Court 2")
Now, I do not wish to bother myself with the insults that crept into the exchange, but the AGF must be willing to admit that he has not helped Nigeria’s image by failing to explain a very significant point, namely, whether the “Multinational Treaty Agreement” he cited authorises a country to sneak into any other country and abduct an alleged “fugitive fleeing justice”? Are there no legal and diplomatic processes that are usually followed for the extradition of accused people? Is Malami not embarrassed that Kenya has quickly distanced herself from the obvious legal and diplomatic mess both of them had, probably, created? Or was Kanu arrested in a nameless country?
One would have expected that before raining abuses on Madu, the AGF should have first clearly explained the processes Nigeria had deployed to undertake the extradition so that Madu will see how wrong he was in attacking Malami? How does telling us that Madu is only an attorney-general of a province in Canada help our quest for correct information? And how exactly did the extract exuberantly quoted by the AGF from the Canadian laws explain this “interception” and “extradition” mess the AGF appear to have plunged Nigeria into?
Well, Malami should hasten to benefit himself with the information that Alberta, a province of about 680,000 square kilometers of land has about 387 billion dollars GDP. Reports say that “Alberta’s per capita of $78,155 is the highest of any state or province in North America” How does this make Malami’s debt-ridden country, with per capita of US$2, 083 (for 2020) and choking with excruciating hardship and boundless insecurity better than the Canadian province he is trying to despise? Should any person who values his self-respect even be proud to introduce himself as part of the current regime in Nigeria under which life has been unspeakably devalued?
Concluded
Ejinkeonye, a Nigerian journalist, is the author of Nigeria: Why Looting May Not Stop.
(scruples2006@yahoo.com)
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