The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has renewed its demand for the immediate release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, citing findings by United Nations human rights bodies on his treatment by Nigerian authorities.

IPOB also called on the Nigerian government to compensate Kanu and urged members of the public to support demands for justice, accusing authorities of selectively applying international law for political convenience.

The group made the demands in a statement issued on Friday by its Spokesperson and Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.

According to IPOB, the United Nations Human Rights Council and its Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Kanu was subjected to serious human rights violations, including torture and extraordinary rendition.

Powerful said Kanu was allegedly abducted from Kenya and forcibly returned to Nigeria in 2021, describing the action as a violation of international legal standards.

He said the UN Working Group had called for Kanu’s immediate release and compensation over the alleged violations.

“These are not the words of IPOB. These are the findings of the highest international human rights bodies,” Powerful said.

The group criticised the British government for what it described as a double standard in its approach to international law, particularly over its position on Israel and Jerusalem.

IPOB alleged that Britain assisted Nigeria in actions against Kanu despite its subsequent emphasis on international law in relation to Israel.

“The same Britain invoking legal principles against our Israeli brothers and sisters actively helped Nigeria circumvent those very principles when it concerned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement said.

IPOB, which declared its support for Israel, also condemned what it described as attempts to restrict Jewish settlement in Jerusalem and other parts of what it considers the historic land of Israel.

The organisation further accused Britain of ignoring Palestinian terrorism, incitement and the Palestinian Authority’s alleged “pay for slay” policy while criticising Israel.

It maintained that the Jewish people have a right to live across what it described as their historic and Biblical homeland, insisting that Britain was in no position to lecture Israel on the issue.

The group warned that the UK government’s alleged selective application of international law could undermine its credibility and called on Britain to apply the same legal principles consistently.

IPOB said Britain should either respect international law universally or risk being perceived as using it selectively against countries and groups based on political interests.