Nigeria’s Nnamdi Kanu sentenced to life imprisonment after decade-long trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment, drawing to a close a turbulent ten-year legal battle marked by controversy, political tension and courtroom drama.

Justice James Omotosho delivered the ruling on Thursday, four years after Kanu was forcibly returned from Kenya in circumstances that remain heavily disputed. He had been standing trial on seven terrorism-related charges, all of which he denied.

The court proceeded without the IPOB leader present. Kanu had refused to remain in the dock, insisting the case would not reach judgment. His defiance prompted the presiding judge to order security officers to remove him for what was described as “unruly behaviour.”

In a strongly worded judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that several of Kanu’s broadcasts on Radio Biafra constituted acts of terrorism. He argued that Kanu used the platform to issue violent directives, including alleged calls for attacks on security personnel.

The judge also held that Kanu’s widely publicised sit-at-home orders across the South-East infringed on citizens’ freedom of movement and amounted to “terrorising innocent people.”

“Kanu had no constitutional authority to compel the public to stay indoors,” he said.

Justice Omotosho noted that throughout the proceedings, the IPOB leader displayed “arrogance” and “a failure to appreciate the consequences of his actions.” The court found him guilty on all seven counts, concluding that he engaged in “preparatory terrorism” by using broadcast messages to incite violence.

Although the offences carry the possibility of capital punishment, the judge said international human rights trends influenced his decision not to impose the death sentence.

“It is evident that the death penalty is increasingly rejected globally,” Justice Omotosho stated. “In the interest of justice, the court hereby sentences the defendant to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five and six.”

The ruling marks one of the most consequential judgments in Nigeria’s contemporary security landscape and is expected to provoke strong reactions across the country’s South-Eastern region.