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By our reporter
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the Nigerian government to immediately end the trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, following a recent judgment by the High Court of Kenya which declared his arrest and transfer to Nigeria as unlawful.
In a statement signed by its Director of Legal Affairs, Barrister Onyedikachi Ifedi, IPOB said the Kenyan court’s decision confirms that Kanu’s rendition in 2021 was a violation of both international and Nigerian law. The group described the operation as criminal, accusing Nigerian officials of participating in an illegal act under the former Attorney-General’s watch.
The Kenyan court found that Kanu was abducted in Nairobi and transferred to Nigeria without any formal extradition process. The court ruled that this action breached his fundamental rights, including liberty and fair hearing, and therefore had no legal basis.
IPOB stated that this ruling aligns with earlier decisions by Nigerian courts, including a 2022 judgment by the Federal High Court in Umuahia, which also declared Kanu’s rendition illegal and ordered his release—a judgment yet to be enforced.
The group argued that the act of seizing Kanu without due process violates Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which defines kidnapping and abduction in breach of international treaties as acts of terrorism. IPOB further cited the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which prohibits the expulsion of any non-national without legal procedure. The Charter is part of Nigerian law.
IPOB urged the judge handling Kanu’s case in Abuja, Justice James Omotosho, to reconsider the court’s jurisdiction in light of the new ruling. The group warned that continuing a trial based on an illegal process undermines the rule of law and tarnishes the credibility of the judiciary.
Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and flown to Nigeria to face terrorism-related charges. Despite an earlier ruling from the Court of Appeal ordering his release, the federal government refiled amended charges in March 2025.
IPOB insists that no trial can proceed while the foundation of the case—his rendition—is unlawful. It urged the Nigerian government to respect court orders and international law, and to immediately release Kanu.
