According to a report by Vanguard, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has praised a recent ruling by the High Court of Kenya, which found the arrest and forced transfer of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria in June 2021 to be both unlawful and unconstitutional.
Delivering judgment on Monday, 24 June 2025, Justice E.C. Mwita condemned the actions of the Kenyan and Nigerian governments, citing gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental human rights.
The court awarded Kanu KSh10 million in compensation for the unlawful acts.
Justice Mwita ruled that the Kenyan government failed in its constitutional duty to protect Kanu, who had lawfully entered the country.
Instead, he was abducted, held in solitary confinement, subjected to torture, and removed from the country without any legal process.
“The government of Kenya violated its own Constitution and Mr Kanu’s basic rights. Once he entered the country legally, he was entitled to protection under Kenyan law,” the judge stated.
The court also noted that Kanu’s incommunicado detention and denial of basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care constituted severe breaches of his constitutional freedoms.
His forced return to Nigeria, without any legal or judicial process, was deemed to have violated both domestic and international legal norms.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group described the judgment as a “resounding judicial earthquake” and a clear vindication of its long-held stance on Kanu’s extraordinary rendition.
IPOB accused both governments of engaging in what it called a “state-sponsored act of international terrorism” and pledged to intensify efforts to seek international justice for those involved.
According to the group, Kanu’s abduction at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was carried out without due legal process, with the involvement of security agencies from both nations.
He was reportedly chained, tortured, and flown to Abuja without the benefit of an extradition hearing or court authorisation.
The statement also expressed deep appreciation to Professor PLO Lumumba, who led the legal challenge in Kenya, and lauded Justice Mwita for his “courage, clarity, and determination” in delivering the landmark verdict.
IPOB further stated that the ruling has cast a lasting legal shadow on the legacies of former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, both of whom it accused of complicity in the illegal act.
The group declared that this judgment signals the beginning of a global accountability campaign aimed at ensuring justice for what it described as a “crime against humanity.”
“All those responsible, whether in Kenya, Nigeria, or elsewhere, will be pursued under international law until justice is served,” the statement concluded.
Source: Politics Update.
