Abuja, Nigeria – June 30, 2025 —The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has lauded a landmark ruling by the High Court of Kenya, which declared the abduction and forced transfer of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria as a gross violation of both national and international laws.
In a press statement issued by Barrister Onyedikachi Ifedi, Director of Legal Affairs, Research and Global Communications for IPOB, the group described the Kenyan judgment as a “judicial indictment” of Nigeria’s government under former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami. The group condemned Kanu's extradition as a "sham trial" and a "constitutional desecration."
The Kenyan court's ruling affirmed that Kanu’s arrest, detention, and rendition from Nairobi lacked any judicial backing and violated his fundamental rights to liberty and due process—rights protected under both Kenyan and Nigerian constitutions, as well as international treaties to which Nigeria is a party.
IPOB drew attention to Section 2(3)(f)(ii) of Nigeria's Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, which categorizes any act of abduction or rendition that contravenes international treaties as an act of terrorism under Nigerian law. The group argued that the implication is clear: Nigerian officials who facilitated Kanu's abduction have, in effect, committed terrorism.
“No court in Kenya ever sanctioned Mazi Kanu’s removal from its territory,” the statement read. “He was blindfolded, tortured, and flown to Nigeria in a covert operation more suited to Cold War espionage than the legal framework of modern international justice.”
Citing Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria has domesticated, IPOB further asserted that the absence of a formal extradition process renders the entire judicial proceedings against Kanu illegitimate.
The group urged Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to act suo motu by addressing the implications of the Kenyan court ruling and determining whether the foundation of the case against Kanu is legally tenable.
“Every court sitting that proceeds without resolving this foundational illegality contributes to what Nigerian law now defines as terrorism,” the statement declared.
Calling the continued trial of Kanu a stain on Nigeria’s international image, IPOB demanded the immediate termination of the case and Kanu’s unconditional release. The group warned that ignoring the implications of the Kenyan judgment would further erode Nigeria’s commitment to constitutionalism and international law.
“The world is watching,” IPOB concluded. “Justice must begin with an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Nigeria must release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or risk cementing its reputation as a rogue state.”