The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused Swiss government and it’s Embassy in Abuja of aiding and abating the unlawful disappearance of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, also accused the government of Switzerland of collaborating with the Nigerian government in the continued disappearance of its leader.
“We note with grave sadness, the role the Swiss Embassy in Abuja have played in aiding and abating the unlawful disappearance of our members in Nigeria, by denying entry Visa to members of Kanu’s family and other first hand witnesses to the Nigerian Army massacre of unarmed civilians at Nnamdi Kanu’s compound in Isiama Afaraukwu on September 14th 2017.
“This is a clear case of 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 chose to act out of character by appearing to support impunity and gross violations of the rights of Kanu’s family to seek justice.
“The conduct of the Swiss Embassy is unbecoming of a civilised country, who by this action, appears to be collaborating with the murderous regime in Nigeria in their persecution of Biafrans.
“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”
IPOB stated that, “With all due respect, it is an indisputable fact that most people seeking to overstay their visa permit would rather prefer to do so in the United States of America than Switzerland. Therefore, the reasons given by the Kogi-born employee at the Swiss Embassy for refusing visas to the Kanu family is laughable.”
IPOB statement also read: “We must also remind the Swiss Embassy that IPOB women 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 therefore at a loss to understand why Swiss Embassy chose this line of action when the lives of human beings are at stake.
“We wonder if the Swiss government through its Embassy in Abuja is giving tacit support to abuse of human rights in Nigeria or they are seeking to influence or impede the work of the United Nations.
“The United Nations office invited Kanu’s family to meet them in Switzerland to ascertain what truly transpired during the massacre of the 14th of September 2017 at Isiama Afaraukwu during Operation Python Dance 2.
“This Nigerian army’s ugly episode and mindless attack resulted to the disappearance of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, his aged parents and other family members of IPOB since last year.
“It is important we state clearly that our leader’s whereabouts is still unknown since that very unwarranted and unprovoked invasion and attack.
“If the United Nations has chosen to invite surviving members of Kanu family to a meeting in Geneva to ascertain the facts, more so when the Swiss Embassy has a copy of the letter of invitation, why is it trying to stop or disrupt the meeting through visas refusal?
“We see this Swiss Embassy’s reluctance to issue the entry visa to Kanu’s family as politically motivated.
“We therefore urge the Swiss government not to allow the travesty to subsist. Otherwise, IPOB will have no option than to regard the Swiss government as an accessory to mass murder and promoter of human rights abuses in Africa.”
Source: Vanguard News | Published by Prince Richmond C. Amadi
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