Court Jails Nnamdi Kanu for Life after Decade-Long Terrorism Trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment after a trial that spanned ten years and drew national and international attention.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the landmark judgement on Thursday, four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under contentious circumstances and extradited to Nigeria to face terrorism charges filed by the Federal Government.
The court delivered the judgement in Kanu’s absence following a dramatic scene earlier in the day. The IPOB leader had insisted that the court would not proceed with its ruling on the terrorism case, prompting Justice Omotosho to order security operatives to remove him from the courtroom for what he described as “unruly behaviour.”
In a detailed judgement, Justice Omotosho held that several inflammatory broadcasts made by Kanu through Radio Biafra amounted to acts of terrorism, noting that his rhetoric and intentions were rooted in violence.
The judge also ruled that Kanu’s sit-at-home orders in South-Eastern states violated citizens’ freedom of movement and therefore constituted acts of terrorism.
“Kanu lacked the constitutional authority to order people to sit at home,” the judge stated, adding that the defendant’s broadcasts encouraged attacks on police and military personnel. “From the evidence before the court, the defendant engaged in preparatory terrorism through which he ordered the killing of security officers.”
The court found Kanu guilty on all seven counts preferred against him, despite his plea of not guilty. Justice Omotosho observed that the IPOB leader showed no remorse during the trial, describing him as “arrogant, corky and full of himself without realising the magnitude of his crime and its impact on the people of the South-East.”
Having convicted him on all charges, Justice Omotosho chose life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, which he said had become increasingly unacceptable globally.
“The death penalty globally is now being frowned upon by the international community. Consequently, in the interest of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment for counts one, four, five and six,” the judge declared.
The judgement marks one of the most consequential legal outcomes in Nigeria’s recent history, bringing to a close a trial that has stirred widespread debate, public protests, and diplomatic exchanges over the past decade.
