The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment following a decade-long trial.
Justice James Omotosho handed down the ruling on Thursday, four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under disputed circumstances and brought to Nigeria to face seven terrorism-related charges.
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The judgment was delivered in Kanu’s absence after he refused to recognize the court’s authority over the case. During proceedings, Kanu was removed from the courtroom by security officials following disruptions.
Justice Omotosho cited Kanu’s broadcasts on Radio Biafra as constituting acts of terrorism, stating that his messages promoted violence and included directives, such as a “sit-at-home” order in the South-East, that infringed on citizens’ freedom of movement. The judge added that the evidence indicated Kanu had used these broadcasts to incite attacks on police and military personnel, amounting to preparatory terrorism.
Despite Kanu’s not-guilty plea, the court found him guilty on all seven counts and imposed a life sentence for committing terrorist acts against Nigeria.
