By Akinwale Kasali
A few days after Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a dual citizen of Britain and Nigeria was arrested in Kenya, Britain and Nigeria held talks, where they discussed everything but Kanu’s arrest.
Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, an organization proscribed by the Nigerian Government, was arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria, while he was traveling with his British Passport as a British citizen.
On repatriation to Nigeria on Sunday, Kanu was hauled before a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, presided over by the Hon. Justice Binta Nyako to continue with his trial over alleged treason related activities.
Nyako had granted Kanu bail in 2017 during his trial which began in 2016. But Kanu was forced to jump bail when men of the Nigerian Military invaded his father’s palace where he was. Fatalities were, allegedly, recorded.
Since then, he had been out of Nigeria, and stayed back in London from where he has been pursuing, vigorously, his passion of a Republic of Biafra, out of Nigeria. His absence from Nigeria, and the Court ended on Sunday.
Both the British and Kenyan Government say they are ignorant of the process that led to his arrest and repatriation.
But at a time when Kanu and his legal team are pointing out the illegality of the action of the Nigerian Government while Kanu was carrying his British passport, and asking for intervention from the British Government, Nigeria and Britain met without a word on the Kanu incident.
In strengthening the Unity and bilateral trade that havr existed and bound both countries together the Federal Government and the British Government dialogued on charting a way forward.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who represented the Nigeria had a meeting with the High Commissioner of Britain in Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing, discussing bilateral issues relating to Asset Recovery, Anti-corruption crusade, amendment of the Electoral Act, the Audit Bill, Petroleum Industry Bill, Twitter ban and counter terrorism approaches.
In a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Justice, Umar Gwandu, he said the fundamental interest and objective of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was to leverage on the bills to enhance value in terms of creating amiable environment for investment, protecting the public interest for the maximum benefit of the country.
On Petroleum Industry Bill, the Minister said necessary steps have been taken to ensure the pending bills are transmitted to the President for accent.
The essence of the amendment of the Electoral Act he said was to enhance the democratic system thereby aiming at addressing delays in judicial determination of pre-election matters, as well as ensuring justice and fairness in the conduct of election processes including party primaries.
“To strengthen the fight against corruption the government came up with the Proceeds of Crime Bill and Audit Bill among others’’.
He noted that public interest has been the uppermost consideration within which the context of freedom of expressions should be regulated and reasonable restrictions to freedom of expressions are locally and internationally recognized.
“Our government is not averse to freedom, freedom is not borderless. Freedom of expression must not be used in such a manner that incites citizens to violence or calls for an overthrow of a democratically elected government. There are bounds to freedom within the laws,” he said.
On the Twitter ban in the country, Malami said the Government has established a committee on the matter and that the company has approached the Government over the issue.
He maintained that the interest of Nigerians matters most for any company that wants do business in the country.
“If you want to operate as a business entity in Nigeria, you must do so within the context of Nigerian laws, nothing offensive or that breach the Nigerian laws should be entertained”.
In her submission, the British High Commissioner, thanked the Minister for the clarification of the issues, maintaining that the steps taken in the fight against corruption and electoral reforms are really encouraging, pledging the determination of the United Kingdom to always work with the nation in actualising its goals and objectives.
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