The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after convicting him on seven terrorism charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Thursday, ruling that the prosecution presented “sufficient, credible, and compelling” evidence establishing Kanu’s culpability on all counts.
The court noted that Kanu declined to open a defence and instead chose to rest his case entirely on the prosecution’s evidence—an approach the judge said left the court with no alternative but to convict him. Justice Omotosho also held that Kanu’s pursuit of a Biafra state through violent means placed him within the definition of a terrorist under Nigerian law.
Before sentencing, lead prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) urged the court to impose the maximum penalty permitted under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. He argued that counts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 carry death sentences due to the gravity of the alleged offences.
Awomolo said he was “shocked” that Kanu showed no remorse throughout the trial and accused the defendant of maintaining a defiant posture despite the seriousness of the charges.
Kanu, who has faced a years-long prosecution involving multiple amended charges, legal challenges, and courtroom disruptions, was convicted on allegations bordering on terrorist financing, issuing violent threats, and coordinating attacks attributed to IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The conviction marks one of the most consequential rulings in the federal government’s efforts to suppress separatist agitation in the South-East.
