The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), the youth arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has condemned the life imprisonment verdict issued against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as a grave miscarriage of justice.

In a statement issued on Friday, the National President of OYC, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, said the ruling appears to serve the interests of “certain political oppressors and profiteers,” adding that it has further damaged public confidence in Nigeria’s judicial system.

Igboayaka said Kanu’s conviction on November 20, 2025, was “extremely provocative to Ndigbo,” comparing the implications of the judgment to events that preceded the 1967–1970 civil war.

“The verdict of Justice James Kolawole Omotosho implies that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and Ndigbo are regarded as terrorists,” he said.

“But we want to inform the government that the Igbo people are not terrorists. It is common knowledge who the real terrorists are, and the world, including the United States under the leadership of Donald Trump, is aware of their identity.”

He added that OYC shares Kanu’s earlier question to the trial judge: “Where is the law? Where lies the legal foundation?” insisting that “the prosecution did not substantiate any claims against Ndigbo or Nnamdi Kanu.”

According to him, the judgment “suggests that Justice Omotosho was carrying out a national assignment to uphold a predetermined decision influenced by the Federal Government and certain British agents or individuals in Nigeria.”

He alleged that the ruling was “orchestrated to silence Ndigbo because of the voice of Nnamdi Kanu,” noting that many known individuals have used inflammatory rhetoric to incite violence, yet have never been prosecuted or convicted.

“The likes of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, El-Rufai, Gumi, and others are protected by the same law that was allegedly used to convict Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.

“Indeed, Ndigbo are potential victims in the Nigerian justice system.”

He also argued that advocating for self-determination or calling for a referendum “does not radicalize anyone into becoming a terrorist,” warning the Federal Government to avoid actions that could push the younger generation of Igbo people “to the limit.”

“The events of 1967–1970 will not be repeated against the Igbo people in this era; rather, any sudden provocation against them will be met with formidable resistance,” he cautioned.

Igboayaka maintained that Kanu’s conviction lacked constitutional backing and was “a politically written judgment designed to victimize Ndigbo through Nnamdi Kanu.”

He urged Kanu and his legal team to pursue every constitutional remedy available, including appealing the verdict at the Court of Appeal.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has called for restraint and constructive dialogue following the life imprisonment sentence handed to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Kanu was convicted on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who found him guilty on multiple terrorism-related offences.

The judge imposed life imprisonment on counts one, two, four, five, and six of the seven-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

For count three, which involved belonging to a proscribed terrorist organisation, the court sentenced him to 20 years without an option of fine.

Count seven, relating to the illegal importation of a radio transmitter used for Radio Biafra, attracted an additional five-year term, also without an option of fine.

Justice Omotosho said that although the law permitted him to impose a death sentence for terrorism offences, he chose not to do so “as a Christian.”

He also described Kanu as unruly throughout the proceedings and ordered that he be held in protective custody outside Kuje Prison, with the radio equipment forfeited to the Federal Government.

Reacting in a post on her X account after returning from a five-day NTAC monitoring assignment in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ojukwu expressed disappointment at the judgment but urged the public to remain calm.

She wrote: “This is not the outcome we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us.”

Calling for restraint, she added:
“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is need for calm. I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now! There is utmost need to exercise restraint in response to this situation.”

She warned against actions that could escalate tensions at home or abroad:

“All actions which could be deemed incendiary, and which might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.”

Ojukwu emphasised the need for broad consultation among Igbo leaders and stakeholders:

“This situation requires careful reflection and constructive dialogue involving all Igbo stakeholders, Governors, senators, Members of the House of Representatives, clergy, traditional rulers, politicians and business people to engage with government authorities collectively.”

She cautioned against anger-driven responses, saying:

“Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns, and in the worst case scenario, yet another wasteland.”

The minister insisted that dialogue remains the most effective path toward resolving the crisis:

“The quest for mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria with justice, equity and dignity is a commitment which requires our collective resolve, and maintaining peace and order is essential to ensuring the security of all citizens, regardless of tribe or creed.”

Reassuring the public, she added:

“I would like to reassure Ndigbo, Nigerians and our foreign partners that there are still prospects of resolving this impasse in a manner that reduces national anxiety and societal trauma. I oblige everyone to remain calm and patient.”

Ojukwu said she has consistently engaged stakeholders on issues concerning the region and called for a united approach:

“Over the years I have continued to engage on these issues with several stakeholders. Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck, and to have a joint engagement, sincerely, involving all the South Eastern States, to seek a political resolution to this matter.”

Aloy Ejimakor, legal counsel to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, has confirmed that Kanu has been moved from the Department of State Services (DSS) detention in Abuja to a correctional facility in Sokoto following his life sentence.

“MAZI NNAMDI KANU has just been transferred from DSS Abuja to a correctional facility in Sokoto, far from his lawyers, family, and well-wishers,” Ejimakor stated on X.

Kanu was sentenced by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday after being found guilty on terrorism charges.

He received a life sentence for counts one, four, five, and six of the seven-count charge. Additionally, he was sentenced to 20 years and five years on counts three and seven, respectively.

In delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had proven all allegations against Kanu.

He noted that the IPOB leader provided no credible defense and “deliberately refused” to challenge the evidence presented.

Describing Kanu as “a person who cannot be allowed to remain in the company of sane minds” and labeling him an “international terrorist,” the judge explained that Kanu’s violent behavior during the trial made him unsuitable for Kuje Prison.

He emphasized that Kanu must be held in protective custody, and any use of electronic devices would require supervision by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Justice Omotosho further ordered the forfeiture of items retrieved from Kanu, including a smuggled transmitter, to the federal government.

Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, has strongly condemned her husband’s life imprisonment sentence, calling it illegal, biased, and a miscarriage of justice.

In a statement shared on social media, Uchechi accused Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja of ignoring constitutional safeguards, inventing evidence, and deliberately blocking Kanu’s right to a fair hearing.

Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment for declaring a “sit-at-home” order in the South-East, which the court claimed was enforced through threats and violence.

The court also imposed concurrent sentences of 20 and five years on additional counts. Justice Omotosho, citing international concerns over capital punishment, opted against the death penalty.

Uchechi criticized the trial for multiple procedural breaches, stating that the charges were based on the now-repealed Terrorism Act of 2013 rather than the 2022 Act.

She said, “The judge knew the old law was dead but forced Kanu to plead under it. Charging someone under a law that no longer exists is illegal and void.”

She further accused the judge of inventing evidence, claiming allegations about Kanu plotting to bomb the British and US embassies during EndSARS were fabricated, with no witness ever testifying to such claims in court.

Uchechi also condemned the misuse of the “savings clause,” emphasizing that a repealed law cannot override the Constitution.

She highlighted the court’s failure to address international law requirements, noting there was no evidence, report, or witness from Kenya to substantiate claims of crimes allegedly committed there.

Concluding her statement, she said, “The judge didn’t follow the law, the Constitution, or due process.

“He used a dead law, invented evidence, blocked the defendant’s right to speak, and delivered a judgment that cannot stand.”

The verdict is illegal and will not survive appeal. It exposes the judge to disciplinary action.”

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has described the life imprisonment sentence handed down to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as unacceptable, arguing it amounts to a life sentence for the entire Igbo race.

MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, said the ruling would not weaken the Biafra struggle. He criticized the judgment, asserting it was driven by personal vendetta rather than justice.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set Nigeria on irredeemable fire,” Madu said.

“The court’s ruling was not justice but vengeance from a man fueled by pathological hatred against Ndigbo, using Nnamdi Kanu as a target.”

He added, “Nnamdi Kanu was sentenced for words spoken from abroad, after being illegally abducted from Kenya, in defiance of a United Nations ruling demanding his release, and prosecuted under a law that no longer exists. Meanwhile, Mamman Nur, responsible for over 2,000 deaths as Boko Haram’s co-founder, received only five years.”

Madu said the sentence illustrates the government’s “lawless and totalitarian nature,” noting that Kanu’s real offense was exposing the threat of radical Islamic jihad in Nigeria and the government’s complicity.

MASSOB highlighted that Kanu’s seizure in Kenya in 2021 was not an extradition but an illegal rendition.

They cited the Kenyan High Court ruling by Justice Anthony Mrima in June 2025, which condemned the abduction as a violation of Kanu’s fundamental rights.

The group also referenced the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s opinions in 2022 and 2025, which deemed Kanu’s detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release.

MASSOB emphasized that the United States has never listed IPOB as a terrorist organization.

They further stressed that Kanu was tried under a repealed anti-terror law with no savings clause, concluding that this injustice is not only against Kanu but against the Igbo people as a whole.