Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has said that the Kenya High Court ruling declaring the arrest and subsequent transfer of the detained IPOB Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to Nigeria has placed a permanent and indelible legal stain on the persons of former Kenya President, Uhuru Kenyatta and former Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari alongside the former Nigeria Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful made this known in a statement issued in reaction to the verdict of a Federal High Court sitting in Nairobi, the Kenya state capital presided over by Justice E.C Mwita who on June 24, 2025 ruled that the governments of Kenya and Nigeria violated Nnamdi Kanu’s human rights.
Delivering judgment, Justice E.C Mwita held that the actions of both the Kenya and Nigeria governments amounted to gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental human rights as protected by their respective constitutions.
The court also awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings in compensatory damages against the Kenyan government for its role in the unlawful abduction and rendition.
Justice E.C Mwita held that, “Having considered the pleadings and arguments by parties, the decisions relied on, the Constitution and the law, I come to the following conclusions:
“First, the government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms. Having entered Kenya lawfully he was subject to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the government of Kenya had an obligation to uphold and protect his rights and fundamental freedoms.
“Mr. Nnamdi was, however, abducted, kept in solitude confinement, tortured and denied food and medication, a breach of basic rights. He was chained, humiliated, ridiculed and held in contempt and later forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law in violation of his rights and fundamental freedoms for which the government of Kenya is liable.
“Based on the above conclusions, the court makes the following declarations and orders it considers appropriate: A declaration is hereby issued that the abduction of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu Kanu; holding him in incommunicado confinement, torturing him and denying him food, water, medication and other basic necessities was a violation of his rights and fundamental freedoms.
“A declaration is hereby issued that the abduction and subsequent forcible removal of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria was in violation of the laws of Kenya; his rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of movement and security of the person guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal.
“An order for compensation is hereby issued awarding Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu general damages Kshs 10,000,000, (₦119,546,576.79) against the Attorney General of Kenya on behalf of the government of Kenya for the violation of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu’s constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Reacting, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB described the judgment as a landmark victory, saying it vindicates the group’s long-standing position it described as sham and farcical trial of its leader in Nigeria.
The IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful statement reads thus: “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB wishes to formally announce a resounding judicial earthquake that has shaken the legal foundations of the fraudulent rendition of our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“In a historic, courageous, and landmark judgement delivered on June 24, 2025, the High Court of Kenya, sitting in Nairobi, found that the abduction, incommunicado detention, torture, and illegal transfer of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 was unlawful, unconstitutional, and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights under Kenyan and international law.
“This judgement vindicates our consistent position that what transpired in Nairobi in June 2021 was not extradition but extraordinary rendition — a criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism involving the highest authorities of the Nigerian and Kenyan governments.
“We are grateful beyond measure to the brilliant legal leadership of Professor P.L.O Lumumba, lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, whose courage, clarity, and tenacity led to this monumental legal victory. IPOB also extends heartfelt appreciation to the Kenyan judiciary, especially Honourable Justice E.C Mwita, who stood tall against ferocious political interference and international diplomatic pressure to deliver a fearless judgement grounded in law, morality, and constitutional justice.
“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. He was chained, tortured, denied medication, and eventually bundled onto a private jet and flown illegally to Abuja without any extradition hearing or judicial warrant.
“This 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, and their accomplices.
“It also exposes the criminal lobbying missions embarked upon by Nigerian leaders — from ‘Buhari’, Osinbajo, to Tinubu and Shettima — all of whom tried and failed to manipulate Kenya’s judiciary to cover up this internationally condemned act of extraordinary rendition.
“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. Neither British diplomatic complicity nor cowardly silence from Western powers will shield the perpetrators from the legal, diplomatic, and moral reckoning that is coming.”
“To Justice E.C Mwita, we say thank you for your judicial bravery. To Professor P.L.O 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,” the statement added.
We had reported that the case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu apparently took a new technical twist on Thursday after one of the lawyers of the detained Biafra Leader, Paul Erokoro, SAN, presented and played three videos which the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja later admitted in evidence, the videos of former Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Retired General Theophilus Danjuma, saying, security operatives in the West Africa country specifically the armed forces are working together with the armed bandits to kill Nigerians, stressing that, if Nigerians depend on the armed forces to curb insecurity, they will all die one by one, also that of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State saying politicians are behind killings in the state, lastly and the most interesting video played at the court to counter the testimony or statement made by the DSS prosecutor witness over Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB founding Eastern Security Network, ESN allegedly created by group of youths in the Southeastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria often referred to as Biafra land to fight in self defence against Fulani armed bandits or terrorists that were advancing and killing people in the Eastern states during the era of President Muhammadu Buhari, was that of the Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Adeola Ajayi, who is apparently the government chief complainer in the case, and the DSS DG in the video recorded and published by SymFoni news media in February 2025, narrated how youths at Azare community in Katagum local government area and Tafawa Balewa community of Tafawa Balewa local government area in Bauchi state, when the DSS DG was the state Director of State Security Services, SSS, resorted to self help and killed all Boko Haram terrorists that came to attack them without depending on the security operatives, according to the DSS DG, when Boko Haram terrorists invaded Azare community, they started shooting and killing people, then, the youths went after the Boko Haram terrorists and killed all of them even when one of the Boko Haram terrorists named Khalid climbed a tree and started firing gunshots from the tree towards the people who were on the lower ground, the Azare people resisted and went after him and subsequently killed him, although the Federal government prosecution witness identified as BBB who is a DSS Operative stated that the ESN is an illegal organisation because there is no approval of government given to the people of Southeast to establish such a self help group to defend their land against terrorists unlike Amotekun security network in the Southwest states that was approved and permitted by the government, also claiming, his boss, the DSS DG in the video was asking communities to build the first line of defence by thus working with security operatives, but, a careful and detailed study of the DSS DG speech in the video shows that the FG witness, BBB probably talked off points, totally off key from the original intent and intention of Mr Adeola Ajayi, the DSS DG teachings and advise in the video, who had said the Azare community people acted in quick response to an emergency situation, and the storyline indicated that the people of Azare prepared themselves in advance likely purchasing and acquiring firearms equivalent to AK-47 riffles to be able to face and kill all the Boko Haram terrorists that invaded the community as narrated by the DSS DG, and if true, the DSS DG, the chief complainer must also be ordered to appear before the court as a defender in the case to present a certified true copy of government approval given to Azare people to defend themselves, or prove beyond reasonable doubts how the people of Azare community were able to kill; merely with their bare hands all the Boko Haram terrorists that invaded their community with high precision weapons of mass destructions, in addition, the DSS DG in the video probably advocated for the need for all individuals in Nigeria to have a gun, because, he gave an example of a visit to the United States of America, USA, when his host in the US heard a police siren sound, he quickly brought out his gun and said, if the criminal chased after by the US police ran into his apartment, he would used the gun to kill the criminal suspect, and that not all, the DSS DG in the video also recalled and referenced the words of Nigeria former Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida that if insecurity must end in Nigeria, Nigerians must be ready to resort to self help like the people of Azare community did.
We had reported that Unknown witness brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria to Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday over the case involving Biafra Republic agitator, Nnamdi Kanu has testified before the court that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader was the founder of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, an IPOB acclaimed vigilante security network established to fight against terrorists that were advancing from Northern part of Nigeria and building camps in some parts of Southeast states, although, the unknown witness who was fully masked and personal details kept secret, introduced himself as a personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS who was among the detectives that interrogated the detained IPOB Leader, but the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu in a swift reaction said the witness is unknown, denying ever meeting such a person, the Defense lawyer raised a point of observation during cross examination that the issue raised by the unknown witness has been deliberated and struck out by the previous Judge.
We had reported that one of the witnesses called by the Federal Government of Nigeria to testify against the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, over the alleged act of terrorism, secretly gave his testimony on Tuesday before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, with the coordinating lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, saying, the FG witness was only identified merely by initials and the person gave his testimony against Nnamdi Kanu behind the screen, following the application filed by the Federal Government lawyers as approved by the trial Judge to keep the identities of the FG witnesses secret, this, Aloy Ejimakor tweeted while the court proceeding was ongoing, that, the Federal Government only has three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, that, six SAN have stood firmly behind the detained Biafra Leader.
We had reported that Justice James Omotosho, the new judge that took over the case of the detained Biafra agitation leader, Nnamdi Kanu has accepted the apology tendered by Nnamdi Kanu through one of his lawyers, Barrister Kanu Agabi, a Cross River State born former Senator in the Nigeria National Assembly and two time Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, over the detained Biafra leader’s outburst or manner he protested sequel to his rejection of the former Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, when the case started afresh on Friday with the new judge which Nnamdi Kanu pleaded not guilty to the seven counts terrorism charges filed against him by the Federal Government.
We had reported that the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Nnamdi Kanu has not been released by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Nigeria National Judicial Council, NJC says in reaction to viral rumours that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader has been set free by the CJN on the ground that Nigeria courts under her leadership have no jurisdiction over the freedom fighter’s case due to the way and manner he was forcefully extradited from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021.
We had reported that the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu on Valentine’s day send a message to the lovers, supporters of the Biafra Republic agitation and the general public that he would remain in detention until impartial and unbiased judge takeover the case of alleged terrorism filed against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria, narrating how the judiciary has been biased against him since years of his detention.
We had reported that Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely after the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu as seen in a privileged video footage during February 10, 2025 court session, staged a resistance protest, insisting while confronting the judge face to face including the prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo that Justice Binta who is an indigene of Katsina State, same state with former President Muhammadu Buhari is biased, saying, Justice Nyako who had held a political position of Katsina State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice that her court is not a court of law but a shrine of injustice, accusing the judge of poke nosing with authorities to pass wrong judgement against him inorder to be left off the hook by the Federal Government, her son, Abdul-Aziz Nyako and her husband, retired Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako who was once Chief of Naval Staff, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, pioneer former military Governor of Niger State, two times Governor of Adamawa State who were impeached twice by Adamawa State House of Assembly for misconduct, one of the soldiers that fought against Biafra during Nigeria civil war, a current member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC who is facing corruption charges alongside his son in a criminal allegation filed before court of law since 2015 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over alleged cases of abuse of office, criminal conspiracy, theft and money laundering.
We had October, 2024 reported that the Chief Judge of Federal High Court in Nigeria, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho has rejected the verbal plea by the detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu for the trial judge in the case, Justice Binta Nyako to withdraw being the judge over the lawsuits.
Justice Tsoho stated that Kanu’s case was reassigned to Justice Nyako due to its prolonged nature, dating back to 2015. Given that Justice Nyako had handled the case for the most part, she was deemed the most suitable judge to see it through to its conclusion.
However, the Chief Judge directed that if at the next hearing of the case, Kanu still insists on recusing Justice Nyako, he must file a written motion with an affidavit, stating all the grounds for requesting the recusal.
We had reported in September 2024 that Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court sitting in Abuja have withdrawn from the case of detained Biafra Leader, Nnamdi Kanu after the trial could not commence following the Biafra Leader’s personal confrontation with the judge for the second time in the year.
We had reported in May 2024 that, in a rare case in the history of legal proceedings in the world, Nnamdi Kanu, the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB helped himself at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and played the role of a lawyer with full energy and vibrant command of words with fearless loud voice defended himself with face to face confrontation with the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako and the Federal Government Prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo.
Kanu is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a seven-count bordering on terrorism.