The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment, marking a dramatic end to a legal battle that has stretched across ten years and stirred nationwide debate.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the ruling on Thursday, four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under controversial circumstances and returned to Nigeria to face trial. The IPOB leader had been standing trial on seven counts linked to terrorism.
The judgement was handed down in Kanu’s absence. Moments before the ruling, tension erupted in the courtroom when Kanu insisted that the verdict would not be delivered. His conduct led Justice Omotosho to instruct security operatives to remove him for what the judge described as “unruly behaviour.”
In his decision, Justice Omotosho concluded that Kanu’s numerous broadcasts on Radio Biafra constituted acts of terrorism. The court held that his rhetoric encouraged violence and contributed directly to attacks against security personnel.
The judge also ruled that Kanu’s widely enforced sit-at-home orders in the South-East were unconstitutional and amounted to terrorism because they restricted the freedom of movement of residents.
According to the court, evidence presented during the trial showed that the IPOB leader issued directives encouraging the killing of police and military officers. Justice Omotosho declared that Kanu was guilty of committing acts of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria on all seven counts, despite his plea of not guilty.
The judge noted that the defendant “remained arrogant, corky and full of himself without realising the magnitude of his crime and the effects of what he has done against his people in the South-East,” adding that Kanu showed no remorse throughout the proceedings.
While the charges carried the possibility of a death sentence, Justice Omotosho said he opted for life imprisonment, noting shifting global attitudes. “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 the said count one, four, five and six,” he ruled.
