|By Adejumo Adekunle-
-Kenyan High Court Declares Nnamdi Kanu’s Abduction, Rendition Illegal
–Awards ₦119.5 Million Compensation as IPOB Hails Verdict a ‘Judicial Earthquake’
Justice E.C. Mwita of the High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the 2021 abduction, detention, and subsequent forcible transfer of Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria was illegal, unconstitutional, and a gross violation of his human rights.
In a landmark 13-page judgment delivered on June 24, 2025, the court held that both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments acted in breach of the law in their handling of Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The ruling also ordered the Kenyan government to pay Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (₦119,546,576.79) in general damages.
“Mr. Kanu entered Kenya lawfully and was entitled to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya,” Justice Mwita stated.
“He was abducted, kept in solitary confinement, tortured, denied food and medication, and forcibly removed from Kenya in a manner that violated his rights and freedoms.”
The judge emphasized that the Kenyan government failed in its constitutional duty by allowing Kanu to be detained incommunicado, subjected to humiliation and physical abuse, and illegally flown out of the country without any legal process.
IPOB Celebrates Judgment as Global Victory
In response, IPOB issued a statement describing the judgment as a “resounding judicial earthquake” and “a monumental vindication” of its position that Kanu was a victim of extraordinary rendition, not lawful extradition.
IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, hailed the decision, saying it affirmed that the actions of both countries were state-sponsored terrorism, orchestrated by the highest authorities under former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
“This verdict permanently stains the records of Kenyatta, Buhari, and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami,” the group declared.
“Kanu was abducted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, tortured, chained, denied medication, and flown to Nigeria aboard a private jet without due process.”
IPOB credited its legal victory to renowned constitutional lawyer Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba, who led the Kenyan legal team. The group also praised Justice Mwita for demonstrating uncommon judicial bravery, resisting both political interference and diplomatic pressure.
“This is not the end. It is the beginning of a global campaign for accountability,” the group vowed.
“All those complicit will be pursued under international law. Neither British silence nor Western complicity will shield them from justice.”
The judgment has sparked intense global reaction, as it raises serious questions over international law, diplomatic immunity, and the abuse of state powers across borders.
Kanu’s case had been mired in controversy since 2021, when he was seized in Nairobi and flown to Abuja without any formal extradition hearing — a process many observers decried as a violation of international legal norms and a blow to human rights protections across Africa.
