A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has declared that the abduction and detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Kenya and his subsequent rendition to Nigeria in June 2021 were unlawful and illegal. Justice E.C. Mwita held that the actions of both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments amounted to gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental human rights as protected by their respective constitutions.

“The government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms,” Justice Mwita said. “Mr. Nnamdi was abducted, kept in solitude confinement, tortured and denied food and medication, a breach of basic rights. He was chained, humiliated, ridiculed and held in contempt and later forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law in violation of his rights and fundamental freedoms for which the government of Kenya is liable.”

The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately ₦119,546,576.79) in compensatory damages against the Kenyan government for its role in the unlawful abduction and rendition. IPOB hailed the judgment as a landmark victory, saying it vindicates the group’s long-standing position on Kanu’s illegal rendition.

“We are grateful beyond measure to the brilliant legal leadership of Professor PLO Lumumba, lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, whose courage, clarity, and tenacity led to this monumental legal victory,” IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful said. “This judgement vindicates our consistent position that what transpired in Nairobi in June 2021 was not extradition but extraordinary rendition — a criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism involving the highest authorities of the Nigerian and Kenyan governments.”

The group vowed to pursue a global accountability campaign, targeting all individuals involved in Kanu’s illegal abduction and transfer. “Let it be known that this is not the end. This is the beginning of a global accountability campaign. 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,” Powerful said.

The verdict places a permanent and indelible legal stain on the records of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and their accomplices. It also exposes the criminal lobbying missions embarked upon by Nigerian leaders to manipulate Kenya’s judiciary.