The United Kingdom and United States governments have explained why they refused to send representatives to observe the trial of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, holding at the Federal High Court, Abuja between January 18 and 20.
According to the Punch, the IPOB leader’s lawyer, had last week Wednesday written a letter to the US and the UK missions in Nigeria, asking the foreign governments to send their representatives to observe the Kanu’s court trial as their presence would ensure a fair hearing for his client.
In the letter, the Kanu’s lawyer had argued that the federal government has a keen interest in the seven-count amended criminal charge preferred against his client and only the presence of the foreign representatives can guarantee fair hearing for him at the ongoing court trial.
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But in its response, the UK explained that it does not normally attend a court case involving its citizen, while the US govt said it was limiting its employees from attending public gatherings in view of the global health scare.
The US government further said despite not sending its representatives, it is still observing the trial very closely, while the UK government added that if it later saw the need to do so, it may send “its consular staff, but in an observatory capacity only.”
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