Separatist leader Kanu is sentenced to life in prison by a Nigerian court for terrorism
A Nigerian court on Thursday sentenced separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu to life in prison after convicting him on all seven terrorism-related charges, concluding a decade-long trial that has heightened tensions in the country’s southeast.
Judge James Omotosho stated that prosecutors demonstrated that his broadcasts and directives to his now banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group incited lethal assaults on security forces and civilians.
The violence was a component of his campaign for an independent Biafra state for the ethnic Igbo-dominated region, which sought to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967, leading to a three-year civil war that resulted in the deaths of over 1 million individuals.
Security measures were stringent around the Abuja court due to concerns about potential protests and violence.
Analysts caution that the conviction may fuel separatist sentiment and hinder attempts to restore peace in the region, where authorities attribute a series of deadly attacks to IPOB.
Omotosho rejected the prosecutors’ plea for a death penalty, stating he must “temper justice with mercy” in light of Kanu’s arrogance and absence of remorse.
“The international community is increasingly critical of the death penalty; therefore, in pursuit of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment,” he stated.
His intention was unmistakable, as he held a belief in violence. “These threats of violence were purely acts of terrorism, executed by his followers,” Omotosho stated.
Kanu received a total of 25 years in prison for two of the charges, with no option for a fine, and these sentences will run concurrently. He has a period of 90 days to submit an appeal.
Kanu expresses his frustration, claiming he was denied a fair trial.
Kanu, who has been in custody since his contentious re-arrest in Kenya in 2021, expressed his frustration loudly during the proceedings and was removed from the courtroom prior to the ruling. He contended that his illegal extradition from Kenya compromised any possibility of receiving a fair trial.
The judgment on Thursday came after months of legal drama involving four different judges. The government concluded its case after presenting five witnesses, yet Kanu declined to present his defence, contending that Nigeria’s terrorism law had been repealed and that the charges were therefore invalid.
His no-case submission was dismissed in September after he dismissed his legal team in open court, and the judge provided him with several chances to present a defence.
In early November, Omotosho determined that Kanu had wasted a six-day period designated for his defense, leaving the court with no choice but to conclude the case.
Kanu, who holds dual Nigerian-British citizenship, initially encountered charges in 2015 and briefly obtained bail in 2017 before leaving the country.
