The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on all seven terrorism related charges filed by the Federal Government. The judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho followed a tense final hearing in which the prosecution pressed for a death sentence on four of the counts, arguing that the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act left the court with no alternative.
Kanu was convicted for issuing sit at home directives that paralysed economic activity in the South East, for leading a proscribed organisation, for inciting violence through broadcast messages, and for encouraging attacks on security agents and public infrastructure. The court held that the prosecution had established that his broadcasts were intentionally crafted to intimidate the public, promote fear and undermine the authority of the Nigerian state.
Justice Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment on Counts 1, 4, 5 and 6. He handed down a 20 year sentence on Count 3 and a five year sentence on Count 7, each without an option of fine. All the sentences will run concurrently. The judge said that although the gravity of the offences met the threshold for capital punishment under the law, he chose to impose life imprisonment after considering both legal precedent and moral responsibility.
He stated that life is sacred to God and added that the court has a duty to temper justice with mercy even in severe cases. He also referenced a global trend toward restraint in the application of death sentences. Earlier in the proceedings, the court foreclosed Kanu’s right to present a defence after he declined to open his case within the allotted time, insisting instead that the charges were invalid and filed under repealed provisions. The court rejected this argument and proceeded to judgment, marking a significant turning point in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched trials.
