A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the abduction and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in June 2021 were unlawful and illegal. The court further awarded compensatory damages of 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately ₦120 million) against the Kenyan Government for gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental human rights.
Delivering judgment, Justice E.C. Mwita condemned the actions of both the Nigerian and Kenyan governments, declaring Kanu’s forced rendition to Nigeria as a breach of Kenyan constitutional provisions and international law.
The court found that Kanu, who entered Kenya lawfully, was entitled to legal protection under the country’s laws but was instead subjected to illegal abduction, solitary confinement, torture, and denial of basic rights before being forcibly transferred to Nigeria without due process.
Justice Mwita described the action as a violation of Kanu’s rights to personal liberty, security, and freedom of movement, and ruled that the extraordinary rendition was unconstitutional and illegal.
Reacting to the ruling, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) welcomed the judgment as a landmark victory for justice. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the decision validated its long-standing position that Kanu’s transfer was not a legal extradition but a case of extraordinary rendition — which it described as an act of state-sponsored international terrorism.
The group expressed gratitude to its legal team, led by Professor PLO Lumumba, and commended the Kenyan judiciary for its impartiality and courage despite political and diplomatic pressures.
“This judgment vindicates our position that what transpired in Nairobi in June 2021 was not an extradition but a criminal abduction,” the group stated, vowing to launch a global campaign for accountability against those involved in the operation. IPOB also accused former leaders in both Nigeria and Kenya of complicity in the act.
The group described the verdict as a victory for oppressed peoples globally and a stern warning to regimes that abuse state power in violation of international law.
Read full details here: News360NG
