Kenyan High Court Rules Nnamdi Kanu’s Abduction and Removal to Nigeria Unlawful
The High Court in Nairobi has ruled that the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from Kenya to Nigeria was unlawful, unconstitutional, and a violation of his fundamental human rights.
In a landmark judgment, the court held that Kanu’s forced removal from Kenya violated the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which guarantees rights including freedom of movement and personal security. The court declared the act illegal and a breach of both domestic and international law.
The court further ruled that detaining Kanu incommunicado, subjecting him to solitary confinement, denying him food, water, medical care, and other basic necessities constituted clear violations of his rights and fundamental freedoms.
Kanu had lawfully entered Kenya, and the court emphasized that as a lawful resident, he was entitled to the full protection of the country’s constitution. The Kenyan government, the court said, had an obligation to uphold these rights.
The case was brought by Kingsley Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, who sued top Kenyan government officials and security agencies, including the Attorney General, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government, the Director of Immigration Services, the Director of Criminal Investigations, and the Officer Commanding Police Division at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
In the suit, the petitioner argued that Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, detention, and subsequent removal from Kenya were carried out in gross violation of the Constitution, the Fair Administrative Action Act (2015), the Extradition (Contiguous and Foreign Countries) Act, and the Public Officers Ethics Act (2003).