Kenyan court declares Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, extradition illegal

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has hailed a landmark judgment by the High Court of Kenya, which declared the abduction and forced transfer of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 as unlawful and unconstitutional.

In a ruling delivered on 24 June 2025, Justice E.C. Mwita condemned both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments for gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental rights and awarded him KSh10 million in compensatory damages.

Justice Mwita, in his judgment, stated, “The government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms. Having entered Kenya lawfully, he was subject to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. However, he was abducted, kept in solitary confinement, tortured, and forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law.”

The court further declared that Kanu’s abduction, incommunicado detention, and denial of food, water, and medication were flagrant breaches of his constitutional rights. It also ruled that his forcible removal to Nigeria violated Kenyan laws and international legal standards.

Reacting in a statement on Friday signed by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group described the judgment as a ‘resounding judicial earthquake’ that vindicates its long-standing position on Kanu’s illegal rendition.

IPOB accused the Nigerian and Kenyan governments of orchestrating a ‘criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism’ and vowed to pursue global accountability for those involved.

The group emphasised that Kanu’s rendition was not an extradition but an ‘extraordinary rendition’ involving collusion between Nigerian and Kenyan security agencies.

“He was abducted in broad daylight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, chained, tortured, and flown illegally to Abuja without any extradition hearing or judicial warrant,” the statement read.

The group also expressed gratitude to Professor PLO Lumumba, lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, and Justice Mwita for their “courage, clarity, and tenacity” in delivering the judgment.

“This verdict places a permanent legal stain on the records of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, as well as their accomplices,” the statement added.

IPOB warned that the judgment marks the beginning of a global campaign to hold all perpetrators accountable.

“All those responsible, in Kenya, Nigeria, or elsewhere, shall be pursued to the ends of the earth under the universal principle of accountability for crimes against humanity,” the statement added.