IPOB members | File Image
The court sitting in Nairobi ruled that Kanu’s abduction, detention without communication, alleged torture, and subsequent transfer to Nigeria in June 2021 constituted a gross violation of his fundamental human rights under Kenyan and international law
By Valentine Amanze
The Mazi Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described its leader’s court victory in Kenya as a resounding judicial earthquake that has shaken the legal foundations of the judiciary in the East African country.
It also hailed the judgment by the High Court of Kenya, which declared the 2021 rendition of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as illegal and unconstitutional.
In the judgment delivered on June 24, 2025, the court sitting in Nairobi ruled that Kanu’s abduction, detention without communication, alleged torture, and subsequent transfer to Nigeria in June 2021 constituted a gross violation of his fundamental human rights under Kenyan and international law.
In a statement issued by the IPOB’s Spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Friday, the group commended Professor PLO Lumumba, its lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation.
“We are grateful beyond measure to the brilliant legal leadership of Professor PLO Lumumba, the lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, whose courage, clarity, and tenacity led to this monumental legal victory.
“We know, and now the world must acknowledge, that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not commit any crime in Kenya. He entered Kenya lawfully as a British citizen.
“He was abducted in broad daylight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by agents of Nigeria’s secret police in collusion with rogue elements of the Kenyan security apparatus,” IPOB stated.
IPOB further stated that the court found the Kenyan government liable for the violations and awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings in compensation.
The judgment reportedly declared that “He was tortured and detained incommunicado in violation of the Kenyan Constitution.
“His removal from Kenya was unconstitutional and illegal.
“The Kenyan government was complicit in the illegal operation in concert with the Nigerian government.”
Also read: Court orders Kenyan govt to pay Nnamdi Kanu N102m for illegal transfer to Nigeria
The group also said that the verdict places a permanent and indelible legal stain on the records of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami.
“Let it be known that this is not the end. This is the beginning of a global accountability campaign. All those responsible — in Kenya, Nigeria, or elsewhere — shall be pursued to the ends of the earth under the universal principle of accountability for crimes against humanity.
“To Justice E.C. Mwita, we say thank you for your judicial bravery. To Professor PLO Lumumba and his team, we salute your exceptional advocacy. To the oppressed peoples of the world, this is your victory — a warning to tyrants that international borders will no longer shield criminal regimes from justice.
“To the Nigerian judiciary, let this be a mirror: Justice is not an act of cowardice, but of courage. The world now knows the truth. Kenya has spoken. Justice is rising,” the group said.
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