Kanu’s Abduction Illegal, Kenyan Court Awards ₦120m Damages

Jun 27, 2025

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By Charles Maduka

A High Court in Nairobi has ruled that the 2021 abduction and forced extradition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was unlawful and unconstitutional, awarding him Ksh 10 million (approximately ₦120 million) in damages.

Delivering the landmark judgment, Justice E.C. Mwita declared that the Kenyan and Nigerian governments violated Kanu’s fundamental rights, including protection from torture, freedom of movement, and due process.

Kanu, who lawfully entered Kenya as a British citizen, was abducted from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by alleged agents of Nigeria’s secret police in collaboration with rogue Kenyan officials. He was reportedly detained incommunicado, tortured, denied basic necessities, and then illegally flown to Abuja without judicial authorization.

Justice Mwita ruled that such actions breached both Kenyan constitutional guarantees and international legal obligations. “Mr. Nnamdi was chained, humiliated, ridiculed, and forcibly removed without legal process,” he said, declaring the rendition an act of illegality and state-sponsored impunity.

The court ordered the Kenyan government, through its Attorney General, to pay compensation and reaffirmed that Kenya had a duty to protect Kanu while he was on its soil.

Reacting to the judgment, IPOB described it as a “judicial earthquake” and a vindication of their claim that the transfer was an act of extraordinary rendition — not lawful extradition. In a statement by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group praised the courage of Justice Mwita and their legal team led by renowned lawyer Professor PLO Lumumba.

“This verdict permanently stains the records of former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Muhammadu Buhari, and exposes the complicity of officials in both governments,” the statement read. IPOB further vowed to launch a global campaign for accountability, insisting that those involved in the rendition would face legal consequences, regardless of office or nationality.

This ruling is seen as a critical development in Kanu’s long-running legal battle and a potential precedent in international human rights litigation concerning cross-border renditions.