Breaking: Kenyan court declares Nnamdi Kanu’s abduction illegal

A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the 2021 abduction and forced rendition of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was illegal and a violation of his fundamental human rights.

Justice E.C. Mwita on June 24, 2025, ruled that Kanu, who entered Kenya lawfully as a British citizen, was entitled to protection under Kenyan law but was instead abducted and unlawfully handed over to Nigerian authorities without due legal process.

Justice Mwita said the actions of both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments amounted to gross violations of international and constitutional law. He awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately ₦100 million) in damages against the Kenyan government.

“The government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms,” the judge declared. “Having entered Kenya lawfully, he was subject to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya 2010.”

Discovererngr.com reports that Kanu was arrested in June 2021 in Nairobi and was flown back to Nigeria under circumstances widely condemned as extraordinary rendition, bypassing any formal extradition hearing.