By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — Human rights lawyer and Director of Legal Affairs, Research, and Global Communications for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Barrister Onyedikachi Ifedi, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to comply with the recent ruling of the Kenyan High Court, which declared the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu illegal.
The landmark judgment has placed Nigeria’s adherence to international law, human rights, and due process under renewed global scrutiny, raising serious questions about the Federal Government’s commitment to the rule of law.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Ifedi described the ruling as a ‘judicial indictment’ of the Nigerian government’s actions, warning that failure to comply could further damage the country’s international standing and domestic stability.
“This ruling is not merely a vindication of Mazi Kanu’s long-standing position. It is a direct judicial indictment of the lawlessness that has characterized this case, exposing Nigeria to multiple counts of treaty violations and human rights abuses,” Ifedi said.
The Kenyan High Court held that Kanu’s arrest, secret detention, and forcible transfer to Nigeria in June 2021 violated his fundamental rights to liberty, due process, and a fair hearing, as enshrined in both Kenyan and Nigerian constitutions, and in international treaties to which Nigeria is bound.
Ifedi urged the Federal High Court in Abuja, currently handling Kanu’s trial under Justice James Omotosho, to consider the implications of the Kenyan judgment before proceeding further.
He cited Section 2(3)(f)(ii) of Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which defines the unlawful abduction of a person in violation of international law as an act of terrorism.
“Any Nigerian official involved in the abduction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya has, by operation of Nigerian law, committed an act of terrorism,” he said.
Ifedi also referenced Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which prohibits the expulsion or extradition of a person without a lawful judicial process. He stressed that no formal extradition proceedings were conducted in Kenya prior to Kanu’s transfer to Nigeria, a process he described as ‘lawless, violent, and unconstitutional.’
“This is a matter that transcends technical legal arguments. It is a desecration of constitutional norms and a betrayal of Nigeria’s international obligations,” Ifedi asserted.
The IPOB legal officer called on Justice Omotosho to uphold constitutional supremacy by addressing the jurisdictional implications of the Kenyan ruling and the provisions of the Terrorism Act.
“A trial built on illegality is itself illegal. A court that closes its eyes to jurisdictional abuse loses moral and legal legitimacy,” he warned.
Ifedi urged the judiciary not to lend itself to impunity, stressing that Nigeria’s democratic reputation depends on its willingness to respect court rulings, both domestic and foreign, particularly those grounded in human rights law.
Source; Vanguard News.
