"PAY KANU #119M OVER ILLEGAL TRANSFER"- KENYA COURT ORDERS GOVT.

A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has declared the abduction and transfer of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 as illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental rights.

In a landmark judgment delivered by Justice E.C. Mwita on June 24, in documents obtained by THE WHISTLER on Friday, the court ruled that the Kenyan government violated both its Constitution and international human rights standards by unlawfully detaining and rendering Kanu to Nigeria.

The court consequently awarded him 10 million Kenyan shillings N119,621,879.96 in general damages as compensation.

Justice Mwita condemned the actions of the Kenyan authorities, stating that Kanu entered the country lawfully and was entitled to the protection of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.

He described Kanu’s treatment, including abduction, solitary confinement, denial of food and medication, and eventual forced removal, as acts that breached both domestic and international law.

“Mr. Nnamdi Kanu was abducted, kept in solitary confinement, tortured, and denied basic needs. He was chained, humiliated, and forcibly removed from Kenya without any legal process,” the court held.

The court issued multiple declarations, including that Kanu’s detention and rendition to Nigeria were unconstitutional, illegal, and violated his rights to dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of movement.

Justice Mwita also held the Kenyan government liable and ordered the Attorney General to ensure payment of the damages awarded.

Reacting to the ruling via a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB hailed the decision as a moral and legal defeat for the governments of both Kenya and Nigeria.

IPOB further described the verdict as a “resounding judicial earthquake” that vindicated its long-held position on what it termed the “extraordinary rendition” of its leader.

“This judgment confirms what we have always maintained, that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was not extradited but illegally abducted and transferred in an act of state-sponsored international terrorism,” the statement read.

IPOB commended its legal team led by renowned Kenyan legal scholar, Professor PLO Lumumba, whose “courage and tenacity” were instrumental in securing the legal victory.

The group also praised Justice Mwita for delivering what it called a “fearless judgement” in the face of political and diplomatic pressure.

The statement further accused former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, along with former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, of complicity in what it described as a “criminal conspiracy.”

It also alleged that top Nigerian officials, from Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, to Shettima, engaged in “criminal lobbying missions” to suppress the case and manipulate judicial processes in Kenya.

“Let this judgement serve as a warning: international borders will no longer shield regimes that violate human rights. A global accountability campaign has begun, and no one involved will escape justice,” IPOB declared.

The group emphasized that Kanu, a British citizen, committed no crime in Kenya and was in the country lawfully before his arrest and rendition. It vowed to pursue legal and diplomatic redress across international platforms.

“To the oppressed peoples of the world, this is your victory. To Justice E.C. Mwita, we say thank you for your judicial courage.

To our legal team, we salute your excellence. This judgement is a blow to tyranny, and a beacon of hope for justice,” IPOB concluded.