UK High Commission Denies Issuing Travel Document to Kanu

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The British High Commission in Nigeria has denied issuing travel document to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

THISDAY had reported that the federal government had launched further enquiries into the role of the British High Commission in Kanu’s breach of his bail terms, including his escape from Nigeria.

According to the report, the main issue the government and its intelligence agents are probing is how the IPOB leader, whose Nigerian and British passports were in the custody of the Federal High Court, was able to obtain another British passport to travel out of Nigeria and traverse other African countries while he was on the run from the law.

A top intelligence officer had told THISDAY had told THISDAY that Kanu was unlikely to obtain another British travel document without the support of the High Commission.

But following THISDAY’s enquires, the British High Commission in an email complaint yesterday by its Political Counsellor, Mr. Jonathan Bacon, denied the report of the involvement of the commission.

“As promised – in response to your question below, we can confirm that the British High Commission in Nigeria did not issue any travel documents for Kanu. We, therefore, reaffirm the categorical denial sent to you yesterday.

“In relation to (b) (in your email of 16:47 yesterday), the scenario you describe refers to a hypothetical situation involving someone with a British passport subject to court proceedings in the UK, and so is not directly comparable to this case,” Bacon explained.

THISDAY had quoted an intelligence source on Wednesday as saying: “Following the storming of his parent’s compound in Afaraukwu, Abia State, by a detachment of soldiers on 14th September 2017, Kanu ‘disappeared’ virtually into thin air, the federal government felt concerned. Since both, his Nigerian and British passports were still in the custody of the Federal High Court in Abuja, there were strong suspicions that Kanu got the support of the United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria for his escape. That was later proved to be the case.”

However, the British High Commission in an earlier email complaint by Bacon, denied the report of the involvement of the commission.

Bacon’s response yesterday reaffirmed the earlier categorical denial.