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LAWYER DEMANDS DISBARMENT OF EX-AGF MALAMI OVER ROLE IN NNAMDI KANU’S EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION
Human rights lawyer, Patrick Agazie, has said that the extraordinary rendition of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya in June 2021 was an “infamous act” by the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.
Agazie who said this in a statement released on Friday, called for Malami’s immediate disbarment and the withdrawal of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title.
The recent ruling by the High Court of Kenya declaring the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Kanu as unconstitutional has reignited debate on Nigeria’s adherence to the rule of law and international norms.
Delivered on June 24, 2025, the landmark verdict by Justice E.C. Mwita held both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments culpable in the unlawful detention and forced transfer of Kanu in 2021, explicitly implicating Malami.
In Case No. HCCHRPET/E359/2021 Kingsley Kanu v. Attorney General of Kenya, the Kenyan High Court ruled that Kanu, a Nigerian-British citizen who lawfully entered Kenya, was abducted, held in solitary confinement, tortured, and denied medical care.
The court held that Kanu was then forcibly transferred to Nigeria without any extradition hearing or judicial warrant.
The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings (approximately N120 million) in damages, finding the Government of Kenya liable for breaching its own constitution and international law.
The ruling explicitly referenced the involvement of senior Nigerian officials, including Malami, who served as Attorney General from 2015 to 2023.
Agazie drew stark parallels between Kanu’s abduction and the infamous 1984 kidnapping attempt of former Transport Minister Umaru Dikko, then living in exile in London.
Dikko was reportedly drugged and stuffed into a crate intended to be shipped back to Nigeria in a diplomatic cargo, but the plan was foiled by British customs agents.
“Both cases highlight a disturbing design and pattern of disregard for due process and international legal standards, with Malami’s actions in the Kanu case marking a new low in Nigeria’s legal history,” Agazie said.
While the Dikko operation was thwarted, Kanu’s rendition was successful, leading to his prolonged detention and trial in Nigeria under what many observers say are questionable legal circumstances.
Agazie noted, “Malami’s role in Kanu’s rendition as a betrayal of legal duty: noteworthy is the fact that “Extraordinary Rendition” was, for the first time, brought into Nigerian jurisprudence by Aloy Ejimakor, who was the first person to use the phrase to correct the widespread narrative that Nnamdi Kanu was lawfully extradited.”
Agazie maintained that the operation spearheaded by Malami violated numerous Nigerian laws and international treaties, including the Nigerian Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act (2017), and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2022).
“As Nigeria’s chief legal officer, Abubakar Malami was responsible for ensuring the government’s actions complied with domestic and international law.
“Instead, he allegedly masterminded an operation that mirrored the lawlessness of the Dikko abduction.”
Agazie stated Malami’s actions contravene the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria, which mandate lawyers to uphold the rule of law, promote justice, and avoid conduct that discredits the profession.
“His role in orchestrating an illegal rendition, involving torture and human rights abuses, is a direct betrayal of these principles,” he said.
He further noted that as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Malami is held to a higher standard of integrity and competence.
But “His involvement in an operation condemned by a competent court as unlawful brings disrepute to the SAN rank and the Nigerian legal profession.”
According to him, Malami’s actions made Kanu’s extraordinary rendition more egregious, considering that he had a professional and constitutional duty to uphold the law, not to orchestrate its violation.
“The recurrence of such tactics four decades after the Dikko incident suggests a persistent culture of impunity within Nigeria’s governance, with Malami’s conduct marking a continuation of this troubling legacy,” he said.
