Kanu’s lawyer gives detail account of how DSS is blocking him access to UK consular, diplomatic help

Kanu’s lawyer gives detail account of how DSS is blocking him access to UK consular, diplomatic help

Summary of my visitation to the DSS today, Monday the 19th July – Barr. Ejimakor

Last Saturday, when I visited Mazi Kanu, I expressed strong concerns about the inordinate delay in having Mazi sign the two Forms I had taken to the DSS for Kanu’s signature some days before. One Form relates to the British High Commission here, the other relates the work the Bindmans are doing from the UK angle.

Both Forms concern to affirming his consent to consular and diplomatic interventions by the United Kingdom and her High Commission in Nigeria.

Surprisingly, the Forms were returned to me UNSIGNED.

Let me make it clear that the day I took the Forms to the DSS, the officers on location were amenable to Mazi signing them until somewhere along the line, they sort of tarried and decided instead to send the Forms to the legal unit for vetting.

So, my sense is that it’s the legal unit of the DSS that subsequently disapproved of Mazi signing the Forms for reasons that were not given to me and which if were given, wound have been unreasonable, anyway.

As a Lawyer, I don’t see any legal advantage the government of Nigeria stands to gain by blocking Maxi from signing those Forms. The Forms are but a mere routine in matters where dual nationality is present.

Instead of any advantage, the refusal will help fuel the notion that the government of Nigeria is deliberately isolating Kanu from having consular and diplomatic access to the United Kingdom.

It does not comport with the best traditions of fundamental fairness that a detainee is being denied access to resources that will assist him in his defense. This is one of the things that will count in our reckoning of of strategies in Mazi’s defense as this matter continues to unf

old.

For these reasons, I’ve contacted the British High Commission in Nigeria to banish every red tape and exert its diplomatic clout in gaining immediate access to Mazi. This is especially important, given the prospects of better welfare, including adequate medical care for him.

Further, the prompt intervention of the High Commission will mean that Mazi will have another layer of human contact in addition to his legal team who are the only ones currently allowed to see him, comprising of only myself, Barr Emeka (PAN) & Barr Habila.

The DSS also rejected and returned some Jewish prayer books and clothings that were brought by Habilla last week, explaining that Mazi had to be the one to make the request through a certain department at the DSS that officially caters to his needs.

This latest development must be made known to public, so the world would know the extent to which the Nigerian Government can go in violating Mazi’s rights. Hiding it from the public will be akin to indirectly helping the government and hurting Mazi.