Kenyan court rules Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, rendition illegal, awards ₦120 million in damages
A High Court in Nairobi has ruled that the arrest, abduction, and forced transfer of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 was illegal and unconstitutional. The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings—approximately ₦120 million—in general damages against the Kenyan government.
Delivering the judgment, Justice E.C. Mwita declared that Kanu, who entered Kenya lawfully, was entitled to the full protection of the country’s constitution. Instead, he was abducted, held incommunicado, tortured, denied medical care and basic necessities, then forcibly removed to Nigeria without due process. The court found these actions to be gross violations of his rights, including freedom of movement and personal security, as guaranteed under the Kenyan Constitution of 2010.
Justice Mwita stated that the Kenyan government was liable for violating both domestic and international legal standards. “Mr. Nnamdi was… kept in solitary confinement, tortured, and denied food and medication… and later forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law,” the ruling read. The court’s judgment includes a declaration that the entire operation amounted to an abuse of the law and a breach of constitutional freedoms.
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Following the verdict, IPOB issued a statement praising the ruling as a “resounding judicial earthquake” that vindicates their long-standing position. The group maintained that Kanu’s seizure in Nairobi was not a legal extradition but an act of extraordinary rendition, describing it as “state-sponsored international terrorism.
” They expressed gratitude to Professor PLO Lumumba, who led Kanu’s legal team in Kenya, and lauded the courage of Justice Mwita in delivering what they called a fearless judgment despite political and diplomatic pressure.
The IPOB statement accused former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, and others of orchestrating the illegal operation, alleging complicity in what they termed crimes against humanity. The group emphasized that this judgment is just the beginning of what it calls a global campaign for accountability, warning that those involved will be pursued under international law.
IPOB concluded by calling the court’s decision a moral and legal victory not just for Kanu, but for oppressed people around the world, and a signal to authoritarian regimes that international borders can no longer shield them from justice.
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