Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been sentenced to life imprisonment on four counts by the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Thursday, also sentencing Kanu to 20 years on Count Three and five years on Count Seven, all without the option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Following the ruling, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, announced plans to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, describing the conviction as a “travesty of justice.” Ejimakor argued that the conviction was based on Kanu’s speeches rather than any violent acts, calling the sentence “cruel and unusual.”
“If the Court of Appeal disagrees, we will take the case to the Supreme Court,” Ejimakor said. “Nnamdi Kanu will not stand convicted for merely making a broadcast.”
Justice Omotosho ruled that Kanu orchestrated violent acts through threats and incitement and emphasized that terrorism cannot be legally defended. The judge noted that Kanu refused to present a defense and disrupted court proceedings.
Kanu’s trial has spanned several years. He was first arrested in 2015 for treasonable felony and terrorism, fled Nigeria while on bail in 2017, and was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 under disputed circumstances before being returned to Nigeria. Charges were later expanded to 15 counts, including terrorism and incitement.
Kanu’s legal team has consistently questioned the trial’s legality, citing procedural violations and issues related to extradition and jurisdiction.
