The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment, bringing an end to a legal battle that has stretched for ten years.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the ruling on Thursday, four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under controversial circumstances and returned to Nigeria. He was standing trial on seven counts linked to terrorism.
The judgment was delivered in Kanu’s absence. Court officials noted that he insisted the ruling would not take place, leading to a tense moment in which security operatives were ordered to remove him from the courtroom for what the judge described as “unruly conduct.”
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In his verdict, Justice Omotosho said evidence before the court showed that several of Kanu’s broadcasts on Radio Biafra amounted to acts of terrorism. The judge noted that the sit-at-home orders issued by Kanu across the South-East restricted citizens’ freedom of movement and contributed to violence in the region.
He further stated that the IPOB leader used his broadcasts to incite the killing of police and military personnel, actions the court considered preparatory steps toward terrorism.
Kanu, who had pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, was found guilty on every count. Justice Omotosho observed that the defendant showed no remorse throughout the proceedings, describing him as “arrogant and dismissive,” with little regard for the consequences of his actions on the South-East region.
While the offences could have attracted a death sentence, the judge opted for life imprisonment, saying the global community is increasingly opposed to capital punishment.
“In the interest of justice,” he said, “the convict is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six.”
