Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after a decade-long trial.
The verdict was delivered on Thursday, four years after Kanu was arrested under controversial circumstances in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria. He was subsequently arraigned on seven terrorism-related charges.
Justice Omotosho delivered the judgment in Kanu’s absence after the IPOB leader insisted that the court would not proceed with ruling on the Federal Government’s terrorism case against him. Following a disruption in the courtroom, the judge ordered security operatives to remove Kanu for what he described as “unruly behaviour.”
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho stated that several of Kanu’s broadcasts on Radio Biafra amounted to acts of terrorism, noting that the defendant’s rhetoric promoted violence. He further held that Kanu’s sit-at-home directive across the South-East also constituted terrorism, as it infringed on the citizens’ freedom of movement.
The judge maintained that Kanu had no constitutional authority to impose such an order.
According to the court, evidence showed that Kanu used his broadcasts to issue directives that led to the killing of police and military personnel, actions described as preparatory terrorism.
Justice Omotosho declared Kanu guilty on all seven counts, despite his plea of not guilty. He added that the IPOB leader showed “no remorse,” stating that throughout the trial, Kanu “remained arrogant, cocky, and full of himself without recognising the magnitude of his actions and their impact on the people of the South-East.”
Having convicted him, the judge said he opted for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, noting that capital punishment is increasingly rejected by the international community.
“In the interest of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six,” Justice Omotosho ruled.
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