FACT-CHECK: Kenyan govt protests, drags Nigeria to ICC over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial?

Fact-checking 5 claims by Facebook page

Claims:

#1: Kenyan judge says Nigerian government “kidnapped” Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and should be returned back to Kenya.

Verdict: Partially true.

#2: Kenya takes Nigeria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over “unlawful detention of Nnamdi Kanu”.

Verdict: False.

#3: Hundreds of Kenyan citizens protest at the Nigerian Embassy, demanding release of Kanu. The same claim was posted on a YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers.

Verdict: False.

#4: England Chief Judge has “issued a strong warning to the Nigerian government demanding the immediate release of Kanu within 24 hours.”

Verdict: False

#5: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo worried Kanu decided to defend himself in an ongoing court battle with the Nigerian government.

Verdict: No proof of statement.

Full Text

A Facebook page made the five claims above, which have continued to attract engagement on social media. The published posts feature pictures of Kanu, a Kenyan judge, President Ruto, ex-President Obasanjo, a protest scene and a British judge.

In one post, the page claimed that a Kenyan judge, “Justice Enoch Chacha Mwita has issued a formal letter to Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja” over Kanu’s “abduction” from Kenya.

Similarly, the Facebook page claimed the Kenya government has charged the Nigerian government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the “unlawful detention of Nnamdi Kanu”.

“Breaking News: World shocked as Kenya takes Nigeria to ICC – President (Williams) Ruto drags Nigeria before International Court freezes billions in assets and declares: “You kidnapped Nnamdi Kanu— Return him or face world court”, the headline reads.

The same page also spread the claim that hundreds of Kenyans trooped to the streets to protest the detention of Kanu.

Ripples Nigeria reports that Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Service since 2021 over charges bordering on terrorism filed against him by the Federal Government.

Recall that recently #FreeNnamdiKanu protests were staged in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja and some South-East States.

Another claim on the Facebook page is that “England’s Chief Judge, Justice Margeret Obi of High Court of England and Wales, has issued a strong order to the Nigerian government demanding the immediate return of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to Kenya within 24 hours.”

The post further claims that “Justice Obi also directed that all ongoing charges and court proceedings against Kanu be halted immediately, warning that failure to comply could attract severe diplomatic and legal sanctions from the United Kingdom.”

Lastly, the page made a post claiming that “former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has raised serious concerns over Nnamdi Kanu’s decision to defend himself in court, warning that every time Kanu speaks, Nigeria inches closer to self-destruction.”

The statement attributed to Obasanjo reads: “Each day Nnamdi Kanu stands in that courtroom to defend himself, Nigeria moves one step closer to chaos. The man speaks with a kind of conviction that shakes even the walls of justice. Any day he is scheduled to speak in court, I will travel out of the country – because he doesn’t just defend himself; he converts even his enemies into followers, including judges.”

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Kanu had chosen to represent himself in court as his lawyers withdrew from the ongoing trial.

The posts, published successively, have garnered thousands of engagements within a few days.

Verification:

#1: Ripples Nigeria gathered that earlier in June, 2025 a Kenyan court declared Nnamdi Kanu’s transfer to Nigeria as illegal. Justice Enoch Chacha Mwita of the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi City had ruled that the government of Kenya violated the constitution and Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms.

Justice Mwita had reportedly issued a declaration that “the abduction and subsequent forcible removal of Mr Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria is in violation of the laws of Kenya; his right and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of movement and security of the person guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and therefore, unconstitutional and illegal.”

The court also ordered for compensation of general damages amounting to “Kshs 10,000,000 (N199,546,576.79) against the Attorney General of Kenya on behalf of the government of Kenya for the violation of Kanu’s constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.”

However, the statement attributed to the Kenyan judge in the Facebook post cannot be reliably verified. Also, the link attached to the post does not show the full story, but instead redirect to a different, unrelated website on every click.

#2: As stated on its website, the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

The ICC listed 33 cases on its website. The list shows details of court cases: parties involved, the charges, and case status. None of the cases involve Kenya vs. Nigeria. A single case with mention of Ruto (Ruto and Sang Case

(ICC-01/09-01/11)) is a closed case.

Checks on both Nigerian and Kenyan mainstream media revealed no report of the two countries having a case before the ICC over the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. Therefore, the claim is false.

Findings also revealed that the claim that Kenya charged Nigeria to the ICC had been debunked. In June, Reuters had reported that the principal secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’oei, disclaimed the claim. “No such statement has been issued by Kenya. The message is outside the remit of the ICC in any event”, the secretary had said.

#3: Findings revealed that there was no protest at the Nigerian Embassy in Kenya. Further checks also revealed that the images used to portray a protest scene were from a demonstration held by Kenyans in 2024 against the Finance Bill 2024 in the country.

Using Google Image search, Ripples Nigeria found the original pictures which revealed that inscriptions on placards have been altered. For instance, a placard showing “Public audit of the national debt” was changed to “return Nnamdi Kanu back to Kenya.” Therefore, the claim is false.

#4: Ripples Nigeria found that the British authorities have heard cases involving Kanu’s trial, for the reason that Kanu is a British citizen. In 2023, reports showed that a UK court of appeal judge, Hon. Lord Justice Lewis ordered that the hearing of the appeal be expedited after another UK court had declined Kanu’s family’s

suit for judicial review of the failure of the British government to reach a firm view with Kanu’s extraordinary rendition.

Further findings however revealed that no UK judge issued an order to the Nigerian government for the release of Kanu. The judge said to have issued the order, Margaret Obi, is a former Nigerian solicitor recently appointed as a High Court judge in England and Wales last month. Meanwhile, there is no report that Hon. Ms Justice Obi issued an order to stop the prosecution of IPOB leader Kanu.

#5: Contrary to the claim, President Obasanjo has not made public comments on Kanu’s trial in recent times. In 2024, the former president denied discussing Kanu’s release in meetings he had with South-East governors. Therefore, there is no proof of the statement that Obasanjo had said there will be consequences for Kanu representing himself in court and that he will leave the country for fear of impending chaos as a result.

Conclusion:

The Facebook page has been spreading disinformation that shows support for the legal battle involving Nnamdi Kanu while purporting that other governments have ordered the Nigerian government to release the IPOB leader.

Moreover, the attached links to the published posts do not contain full statements attributed to judges and former President Obasanjo. All the links redirect to irrelevant websites.

Ripples Nigeria has observed a trend of disinformation with pro-Kanu posts published on Facebook and other social media platforms following the recent #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstration.

By: Quadri Yahya

The post FACT-CHECK: Kenyan govt protests, drags Nigeria to ICC over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial? appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.