Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court on Thursday sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment following a ten-year trial.
The judgment comes four years after Kanu was controversially arrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria.
The ruling was delivered in Kanu’s absence after he insisted that the court should not proceed with the terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government. During the proceedings, the presiding judge ordered security personnel to remove Kanu from the courtroom for what was described as ‘unruly behaviour.’
Justice Omotosho stated that multiple broadcasts by Kanu on Radio Biafra amounted to acts of terrorism, citing the content and intent behind his speeches as promoting violence. The judge also noted that Kanu’s sit-at-home orders in South-Eastern states violated citizens’ freedom of movement and constituted terrorism, emphasizing that he had no constitutional authority to enforce such directives.
According to the court, evidence showed that Kanu’s broadcasts encouraged the killing of police and military officers, qualifying as preparatory acts of terrorism. Kanu was found guilty on all seven counts, despite pleading not guilty throughout the trial.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Omotosho remarked that Kanu had shown no remorse for his actions. The judge described him as “arrogant, corky and full of himself,” failing to recognize the impact of his actions on people in the South-East.
In sentencing Kanu, Justice Omotosho opted for life imprisonment over the death penalty, noting that capital punishment is increasingly rejected by the international community. He concluded: “In the interest of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment for counts one, four, five, and six.”
