The invasion of security agents to the residence of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in 2017 was unlawful and an infringement on his human rights, according to Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court.
On Wednesday, the judge determined that his kidnapping and forced return to Nigeria were “illegal” under both local and international law.
Anya further ordered the Nigerian government to compensate Kanu for the infringement of his fundamental human rights with an amount of N1 billion.
On August 27, 2021, Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, filed a complaint against the Nigerian government in the Abia court.
The Nigerian government’s objection to the judge’s jurisdiction to hear Kanu’s case was rejected, according to SaharaReporters.
Ejimakor had maintained that Kanu could not be punished in Nigeria since he had committed no crime that was punishable under Nigerian or international law.
He went on to say that the Nigerian government worked with Kenya to kidnap him and return him to Nigeria.