A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on seven terrorism-related charges filed by the Federal Government.
Delivering the judgment, Justice James Omotosho ruled that evidence presented before the court proved that Kanu used illegal radio broadcasts to incite violence, attacks on security operatives, and destruction of public facilities across the country. The court said his broadcasts also contributed to riots during the 2020 EndSARS protest.
Kanu received a life sentence on four counts and additional jail terms of 20 years and five years on two others, all to run concurrently. Justice Omotosho noted that he opted against imposing the death penalty “in line with a biblical injunction to show mercy,” but described Kanu as “cocky, arrogant,” and repeatedly disruptive throughout the trial, which had suffered delays since 2015.
The court ordered that Kanu be kept in protective custody in any correctional centre outside Kuje Prison, citing his “tendency for violence.” It also directed the forfeiture of his seized radio transmitter, which it described as the “object of the crime.”
According to the prosecution’s evidence, 175 security personnel were killed, 134 police stations destroyed, and nine INEC offices burnt following Kanu’s broadcasts. The court added that he once instructed listeners to attack the British High Commission in Nigeria and taught followers how to make explosives.
Justice Omotosho further held that while self-determination is recognised under international law, the Nigerian Constitution affirms the country’s indivisibility, and such agitations must follow constitutional processes—not violence.
Before sentencing, House of Representatives member Obinna Aguocha pleaded for leniency, calling for peace and stability. The prosecution, led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, had urged the court to impose the death penalty.
The judgment was partly delivered in Kanu’s absence after he disrupted proceedings, repeatedly accusing the judge of bias and challenging the court’s jurisdiction. His appeals for bail and a referral to the Court of Appeal were dismissed.
The ruling marks the culmination of a decade-long legal battle that began with Kanu’s arrest in 2015, his 2017 escape following a military raid on his home, his 2021 re-arrest in Kenya, and the subsequent legal tussles that reached the Supreme Court.
Reactions Pour In
Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned the sentence, while groups of Igbo women rejected the judgment, alleging it appeared predetermined.
Similarly, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, criticised the ruling, insisting it reflected a pattern of injustice against the South East. He compared the handling of Kanu’s case to negotiations with insurgents in other regions, saying the outcome was “not surprising.”
Abaribe urged calm and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure justice and fairness, adding that the South East now places its hope in the President’s handling of the matter.
Further reactions are expected as the judgment continues to spark nationwide debate.
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