Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team has strongly rejected the life sentence issued by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, condemning the ruling as a blatant miscarriage of justice and announcing plans to file an appeal without delay.

The IPOB leader was convicted on Thursday on terrorism-related charges, but his lawyers insist the decision is fundamentally flawed.

Speaking to reporters after the judgment, Kanu’s special counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, described the ruling as one of the darkest moments in Nigeria’s judicial record.

“Today is historic for all the wrong reasons. I’ve never seen someone convicted solely for what he said, not for any action he took,”
Ejimakor stated.

He argued that the prosecution failed to present evidence linking Kanu’s statements to any act of violence.

“The verdict does not align with the evidence before the court. The sentence is excessive, disproportionate, and entirely unjust,”
he said.

Ejimakor questioned how Kanu could be convicted over broadcasts allegedly made from an unspecified location, broadcasts that prosecutors did not successfully connect to any actual incident, violent or otherwise.

He maintained that Kanu’s push for self-determination is not a crime.

“Demanding a separate nation is not terrorism. In today’s Nigeria, it seems you can be convicted simply for speaking. Kanu made broadcasts, so what? Convicting him of terrorism for mere words sets a dangerous precedent.”

The legal team said they would immediately pursue an appeal.

“We move straight to the Court of Appeal. We trust the justices there to carefully review what happened today,” Ejimakor said.

“If the appeal fails, we will go to the Supreme Court. By God’s grace, this conviction will not stand.”

Another defence lawyer, Barrister Maxwell Okpara, also criticised the ruling, accusing the court of allowing emotions rather than legal principles to dictate the outcome.

He urged residents of the South-East to remain calm and avoid violent reactions.

Okpara expressed confidence that higher courts will overturn what he described as a grave injustice.

In a landmark judgment that brings a long-running legal battle to a dramatic close, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has sentenced Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment.

The ruling was delivered on Thursday, four years after Kanu was controversially arrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria to face trial.

Kanu, who faced seven terrorism-related charges, was not present in the courtroom at the time the sentence was read.

Earlier, he had objected to the continuation of the trial, insisting that the terrorism allegations should not be entertained by the court.

Tension rose during the proceedings when Justice Omotosho ordered security personnel to forcibly remove him from the courtroom over what was described as “unruly conduct.”

In delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho held that multiple broadcasts made by Kanu through Radio Biafra amounted to acts of terrorism, noting that his statements promoted violence and constituted direct incitement.

He further ruled that the sit-at-home directives enforced across the South-East on Kanu’s orders infringed on citizens’ rights and qualified as terrorism.

“The defendant had no constitutional authority to impose restrictions on citizens,” the judge said.

“Evidence before the court shows that preparatory acts of terrorism were executed through broadcasts encouraging attacks on security forces.”

The court subsequently convicted Kanu on all seven counts, despite his earlier plea of not guilty.

The Federal Government has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to hand down the death sentence to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), following his conviction on seven terrorism charges on Thursday.

Justice James Omotosho, who delivered the judgment, held that the prosecution had proved all allegations against Kanu beyond reasonable doubt.

Immediately after the verdict, the Federal Government’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, called on the court to apply the maximum punishment provided under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Awomolo argued that the law prescribes the death penalty for several of the offences for which Kanu was found guilty.

“My Lord, following this conviction, the next step is the lawful imposition of sentence. Under Section 12H of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, the punishment for the offences in Counts One, Two, Four, Five, and Six is death,” he said.

“With respect, this court has no discretion in the matter. The only lawful sentence Your Lordship can impose for these counts is death, and we expect that the court will do so.”

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has found Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), guilty on all seven counts of terrorism filed against him.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully proved its case, noting that the evidence presented was credible and unchallenged.

The judge emphasised that since Kanu refused to open his defence and instead chose to rely solely on the prosecution’s evidence, the court had no reason not to accept the case as established.

Justice Omotosho is still reading the full judgment as proceedings continue.

More details to follow…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on the first count in the seven-count terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.

The first count, threat to violence, was read moments ago by Justice James Omotosho, who ruled that the prosecution successfully established the elements of the offence against Kanu.

The court immediately proceeded to the second charge, which borders on Kanu’s alleged directive ordering a sit-at-home across the South-East and issuing threats to kill anyone who stepped out or violated the order.

The judge is currently reading the ruling on count two.

Kanu is standing trial on seven counts, including terrorism, incitement, threats to public safety, and issuing unlawful orders.

Stay tuned for more…