Federal High Court Sentences IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu to Life Imprisonment After Conviction on All Seven Terrorism-Related Charges

The Federal High Court in Abuja today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, sentenced the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to Life Imprisonment after convicting him on all seven terrorism-related charges preferred against him by the Federal Government. The verdict concludes a decade-long, high-stakes trial that has profoundly impacted Nigeria’s security and political landscape.

Presiding Justice James Omotosho delivered the consequential judgment, stating that the prosecution had successfully proven how Kanu’s broadcasts on the London-based Radio Biafra and his directives for the violent enforcement of the ‘sit-at-home’ order instigated fatal attacks on both security forces and innocent civilians across the South East.

“The court finds that the defendant, Nnamdi Kanu, is an international terrorist and must be treated accordingly,” Justice Omotosho ruled. “His intention was quite clear as he believed in violence. These threats of violence were nothing but terrorist acts.”

The Judgment and Mercy Clause

The court handed down the life sentence in relation to counts one, four, five, and six, specifying that all sentences will run concurrently. The judge noted that while the prosecution had called for the death penalty, the court opted to temper justice with mercy, citing the global trend against capital punishment.

The dramatic session was marked by an outburst from Kanu, who had previously dismissed his legal team and refused to open his defense, arguing that the charges were based on repealed laws and that the court lacked jurisdiction. His disruptive conduct led to his ejection from the courtroom before the final sentence was passed.

Justice Omotosho confirmed that Kanu is to be held in a suitable custodial facility, with access to electronic devices strictly restricted unless authorized by the National Security Adviser. Kanu now has a period of 90 days to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The ruling is expected to generate significant political and security reactions, particularly in the South East region of Nigeria.