The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused Switzerland’s Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria of being used to frustrate moves by Kanu’s family to get justice.
Recall that IPOB accused the Federal Government of being behind the sudden disappearance of its leader and director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu after the invasion of his father’s palace in Afaraukwu Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of the state on September 14, 2017 and has since gone to the International Court of Justice in Hague, Netherland to seek justice despite being outlawed by the Nigerian government.
In a release by the group through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the pro-biafra group described the denial of younger Kanu visa by Switzerland as laughable stated that Prince Emmanuel Kanu was officially invited by the United Nations to Switzerland as part of their investigation of the September 14, 2017 incident in Umuahia and wondered why he was denied visa.
According to Powerful, “The conduct of the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria is unbecoming of a civilized country, who by this action, appear to be collaborating with the Buhari regime in their persecution of Biafrans. IPOB will have no option than to regard it as an accessory to mass murder and promoter of human rights abuses in Africa.”
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy between a member of staff of the Swiss embassy in Abuja and the Nigerian Government to deny United Nations investigators access to vital information and facts surrounding the murderous invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s compound by the Nigerian military
“Instead of commending the UN for their intervention, the Swiss embassy instead chose to act out of character by appearing to support impunity and gross violations of the rights of the Kanu family to seek justice.
“It should be pointed out to the Swiss embassy in Abuja that Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of our leader visited the United States of America recently on a two year multiple entry visa and returned to Nigeria.
“With all due respect, it is given that most people seeking to overstay their visa would rather prefer to do so in the US than Switzerland. Therefore the reasons given by the Kogi born employee at the Swiss embassy for refusing visa to the Kanu family is laughable.
“We must also remind the Swiss embassy that IPOB women also in the past months attended a conference in Baltimore, Maryland USA and duly returned to their respective countries of abode after the event.
“We are at a loss to understand why Swiss embassy chose this line of action when the lives of human beings are at stake. Is the Swiss government through their embassy in Abuja giving tacit support to abuse of human rights in Nigeria? Is Switzerland seeking to influence or impede the work of the United Nations? We the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s leadership worldwide note with grave sadness the role Swiss embassy in Abuja have elected to play in aiding and abating the unlawful disappearance of people in Nigeria by denying entry visa to Switzerland to members of Kanu family and other firsthand witness to the Nigerian army massacre of unarmed civilians at Nnamdi Kanu’s compound in Isiama Afaraukwu on 14 September 2017.
“Should the Swiss government allow this travesty to subsist, IPOB will have no option than to regard it as an accessory to mass murder and promoter of human rights abuses in Africa,” the release read in part.
