Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused the Nigerian government of carrying out serial executive and judicial fraud against him since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021. In an open letter to Nigerians, Kanu outlined what he described as repeated acts of injustice and manipulation by both the executive and judiciary branches of the Nigerian government, which he claims have denied him his constitutional rights.
Kanu’s statement follows a series of legal battles that have intensified the conflict between him, the Nigerian state, and the judiciary. His letter, published on February 18, 2025, provides a detailed account of the events that have led to his prolonged detention and the alleged fraudulent actions that he believes have been carried out against him.
The issue surrounding Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB began years before his arrest. In 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that IPOB was not an unlawful organisation, a decision that brought significant attention to Kanu’s cause for self-determination. Kanu, who leads the pro-Biafra movement, argued that the people of the south-eastern region of Nigeria deserve the right to secede from the country.
In his open letter, Kanu reflected on the landmark judgment delivered on March 1, 2017, which cleared IPOB of being a terrorist group. “The court ruled that IPOB is not an unlawful group. At the time, it received widespread publicity which can be verified,” Kanu stated, highlighting that the ruling was significant, as it was made after both the Nigerian government and Kanu’s legal team presented their cases.
However, Kanu claims that the government refused to accept the ruling. He accused the former Attorney-General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, of secretly moving behind closed doors to have IPOB proscribed and tagged as a terrorist group. Kanu said this was done without any notice to him or the IPOB, which he believes marked the beginning of what he described as an alliance between the government and judiciary to deprive him of his rights.
In 2021, Kanu was arrested in Kenya and forcibly brought back to Nigeria in what is known as an extraordinary rendition. This event became a major turning point in the ongoing legal battles involving the IPOB leader. On October 26, 2022, a Federal High Court ruled that his extraordinary rendition and detention were unconstitutional, describing the act as a violation of his fundamental rights.
The court’s decision on Kanu’s rendition was clear. It found that his arrest and detention were in violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, particularly Section 34, which protects the dignity of individuals. “The manner of arrest and detention… amounts to a brazen violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to dignity of his person and threat to life under Section 34 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution,” the court stated. The court also ordered the Nigerian government to apologise to Kanu and pay compensation.
However, Kanu argues that despite the court’s ruling, the Nigerian government has refused to release him from detention. “In a responsible society, this judgment is sufficient to have ended my lengthy detention,” Kanu said in his letter. Instead, he claims the government went behind closed doors to prevent the execution of the court’s order, even going as far as to conspire with certain judges to issue a “stay of execution,” which Kanu believes was unlawful.
The accusations did not stop at the extraordinary rendition. Kanu also pointed to what he described as judicial manipulation, including the refusal to restore his bail after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour in December 2023. On that occasion, the Supreme Court determined that Kanu’s bail should not have been revoked. However, Kanu claims that despite this ruling, the Federal High Court, rather than restoring his bail, continued to detain him unlawfully.
Kanu also raised concerns about bias in the judiciary. In his letter, he noted that the judge responsible for revoking his bail in 2021 was exhibiting “significant and unacceptable bias.” As a result, he requested that the judge recuse herself from his case. His request was granted, but Kanu claims that instead of assigning a new, impartial judge, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court colluded with the government to assign his case back to the same judge who had already been recused.
Nnamdi Kanu’s open letter reflects his frustration with what he perceives as a deliberate effort to prevent him from receiving a fair trial. He expressed his concerns over being subjected to a biased trial under conditions that were not in accordance with Nigerian law.
“The issue is that my case is deliberately being shielded from judges and justices who are committed to doing justice, even when it means that the federal government must lose,” Kanu stated. He highlighted that the case was being manipulated to ensure that he would not get the fair trial that the law guarantees.
Despite these frustrations, Kanu reiterated his commitment to pursuing justice, even if it meant staying in detention for an extended period. “I will not succumb to any trial conducted by any judge or court whose jurisdiction does not pass constitutional muster,” he asserted. He said that he would rather remain in detention for the rest of his life than face trial in a court where the legal process is compromised.
Kanu’s case has drawn significant attention both within Nigeria and internationally. The IPOB leader’s supporters, particularly in the south-estern region, have called for his release, citing human rights violations and the government’s failure to follow judicial procedures. The international community has also been critical of the Nigerian government’s actions, with some human rights groups raising concerns about the treatment of Kanu and the implications for Nigeria’s legal system.
The Nigerian government has not issued a formal response to Kanu’s latest accusations. However, the legal controversy surrounding Kanu’s detention has become a focal point in discussions about judicial independence, executive overreach, and the rule of law in Nigeria.
