by Nigerian News24 Correspondents
A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the arrest and extradition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 was illegal and violated international law.
In the judgment delivered by Justice E. Mwita, the court found that both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments acted unlawfully in the process of Kanu’s rendition. The judge held that Kanu’s fundamental rights were grossly violated and ordered the Kenyan government to pay him 10 million Kenyan shillings as compensation.
Justice Mwita emphasized that Kanu had entered Kenya legally and was therefore entitled to the protection of the country’s 2010 Constitution. The government, the judge said, had a duty to safeguard his rights and freedoms.
A file photo shows Nnamdi Kanu (second left) during a court appearance in Abuja. (Photo credit: Kola Sulaimon/AFP)
In Nigeria, the Court of Appeal had previously ordered Kanu’s release on October 13, 2022, after striking out charges of terrorism and treasonable felony, citing his improper extradition from Kenya. However, the Nigerian Supreme Court later overturned this decision.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the Supreme Court’s ruling, acknowledged the government’s misconduct—including a military raid on Kanu’s home and his subsequent forced return from Kenya—but ruled that these actions were not sufficient grounds to halt his trial.