Kenyan Court Rules Nnamdi Kanu’s Arrest and Rendition Illegal

Nnamdi Kanu

A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the arrest and extraordinary rendition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to Nigeria in June 2021 was illeg@l and a gross vi%lation of his human rights.

Justice E.C. Mwita, who delivered the judgment, held that both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments breached Kanu’s fundamental rights, as guaranteed under the Kenyan Constitution. The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately ₦119.5 million) in damages, to be paid by the Kenyan government.

According to the judge, Kanu lawfully entered Kenya and was entitled to the protection of the country’s constitution. However, he was abd¥cted, detained in solitary confinement, tort¥red, and denied access to food and medical care—acts which Justice Mwita described as cr¥el and degr@ding.

“Mr. Nnamdi Kanu was ch@ined, rid+culed, and held in c%ntempt before being f%rcibly removed from Kenya in blatant disregard of due process and in v+olation of his constitutional rights,” Justice Mwita stated.

The court issued the following declarations:
• That Kanu’s abd¥ction, incommunicado detention, t%rture, and denial of basic needs were clear vi%lations of his rights.
• That his forcible removal to Nigeria was unconstitutional, illeg@l, and breached his right to freedom of movement and personal security under Kenyan law.
• That he is to be compensated with 10 million Kenyan shillings by the Attorney General of Kenya on behalf of the government.

Reacting to the ruling, IPOB welcomed the verdict, describing it as a “judicial earthquake” that exposed the illegality of Kanu’s rendition.

In a statement signed by spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group said, “This judgment validates our stance from the beginning—that the arrest and trial of our leader were based on a fundamentally flawed process. The Kenyan court has now spoken with clarity and justice.”

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