The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has welcomed the recent landmark judgment by the High Court of Kenya, which found the arrest and transfer of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 to be unlawful and unconstitutional. The court, presided over by Justice E.C. Mwita, ruled that the Kenyan government violated both its own constitution and Kanu’s fundamental rights by abducting, detaining, and forcibly removing him without any legal extradition process.
Justice Mwita’s ruling, delivered on June 24, 2025, condemned the actions of both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments, awarding Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately N119 million) in damages for gross violations of his rights. The court found that Kanu had entered Kenya lawfully and was entitled to constitutional protections, but instead was abducted, tortured, held incommunicado, and denied basic necessities before being flown to Nigeria outside the framework of any legal process.
In response, IPOB issued a statement describing the verdict as a “resounding judicial earthquake” and a judicial confirmation of what the group has maintained since 2021—that Kanu was not extradited but subjected to “extraordinary rendition,” which they termed a criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism. IPOB accused both the Nigerian and Kenyan governments of orchestrating the illegal operation and vowed to pursue global accountability for all those involved.
The group expressed gratitude to Professor PLO Lumumba, who led Kanu’s legal team in Kenya, and praised the courage of Justice Mwita for delivering what they called a fearless judgment in the face of political and diplomatic pressure. IPOB emphasized that this judgment vindicates its long-standing position and marks the beginning of a global campaign to hold all perpetrators accountable for crimes against humanity.
The ruling has been widely hailed as a victory for human rights and the rule of law, placing a permanent legal stain on the records of the officials involved and sending a strong message about the consequences of violating international legal norms.
