Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment.
The sentence was delivered in Kanu’s absence, after he refused to attend the hearing, insisting that the court should not proceed with the terrorism case filed against him by the Federal Government.
Kanu had been convicted on seven counts of terrorism, including inciting violence, issuing illegal stay-at-home orders in the South-East, instructing the making of explosives targeting government facilities, and being a member of a proscribed organization. The court ruled that the prosecution had established his guilt beyond reasonable doubt, based on clear and compelling evidence.
The Federal Government had requested the maximum sentence under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, which allows for either the death penalty or life imprisonment for the crimes for which Kanu was found guilty.
Justice Omotosho emphasized that the conviction was supported by uncontested evidence, including video and audio recordings of Kanu’s broadcasts, which showed him inciting violence and threatening lives in pursuit of Biafra’s secession from Nigeria.
The life imprisonment ruling marks a major development in the government’s prosecution of Kanu and IPOB, underlining the legal consequences for terrorism, incitement, and acts that threaten national security.
The judgement also reinforces the court’s commitment to protecting public safety and holding members of proscribed organizations accountable under Nigerian law.
