Share!
The Federal High Court has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment over terrorism-related charges. The judgment was delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Thursday, four years after Kanu was controversially arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria.
Kanu faced seven counts of terrorism, all of which he pleaded not guilty to. However, Justice Omotosho found him guilty on all charges, stating that his broadcasts via Radio Biafra, as well as his calls for sit-at-home orders in South-Eastern states, constituted acts of terrorism.
“Several broadcasts by the defendant were anchored on violence,” the judge said, noting that the sit-at-home directives violated citizens’ freedom of movement. “The defendant lacked constitutional authority to impose such orders on the populace.”
The court also highlighted evidence suggesting that Kanu had engaged in preparatory acts of terrorism, including calls for the killing of police and military officers.
The sentencing was delivered in Kanu’s absence, after he refused to appear in court, insisting that no judgment should be delivered on the charges. His unruly behavior led the presiding judge to order security personnel to remove him from the courtroom.
Justice Omotosho concluded that Kanu’s actions posed a serious threat to national security and affirmed that the sentence serves as a warning against the use of violence to achieve political ends.
The conviction marks a major legal milestone in the Nigerian government’s efforts to address secessionist agitations and terrorism within the country
