(DDM) – The Federal High Court in Abuja has intensified national debate after prosecutors argued in open court that detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, “deserves the death penalty” following his conviction on terrorism-related charges.
Prosecuting counsel made the argument during Thursday’s proceedings while urging the court to impose the maximum sentence allowed under the Terrorism Prevention Act.
Diaspora Digital Media DDM gathered that the submission was presented shortly after the trial judge formally pronounced Kanu guilty on multiple counts linked to alleged violent separatist activities.
The prosecution told the court that Kanu’s actions had caused significant national security threats that warranted the severest punishment provided by law.
They argued that the death penalty, although rarely applied, remained a legal option when an offence is deemed to have endangered the stability and unity of the Nigerian state.
Court officials said the prosecution relied heavily on evidence already tendered in earlier hearings, including intelligence reports and testimonies from security agencies.
The legal team insisted that the gravity of the charges met the threshold for capital punishment in line with statutory provisions.
Kanu’s defence team immediately objected, calling the request excessive, vindictive, and politically motivated.
Defence lawyers argued that imposing the death penalty would amount to criminalising political agitation rather than addressing the root causes of grievances in the South-East.
They maintained that their client had repeatedly called for peaceful negotiations and had distanced himself from acts of violence attributed to the IPOB movement.
The defence further stated that Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights treaties discourage extreme penalties in cases involving political activism.
Legal observers present at the court noted that the sentencing phase had become a direct clash between national security arguments and human rights advocacy.
Human rights organisations monitoring the trial warned that any move to apply capital punishment could escalate regional tensions.
Analysts speaking to DDM said the prosecution’s request is likely to generate heated reactions across the South-East and within diaspora communities sympathetic to the Biafra movement.
Security agencies have reportedly been placed on alert ahead of the next court session, where sentencing deliberations will continue.
Political commentators say the case has become one of Nigeria’s most consequential legal battles in recent years.
They also believe the outcome could reshape the government’s approach to separatist conflicts and influence broader conversations about constitutional reform.
The court has not yet fixed a final date for sentencing, but sources indicate the judge intends to review additional submissions from both sides.
Kanu remains in DSS custody, where he has been held since his controversial arrest and repatriation in 2021.
The matter is expected to return to court in the coming days as stakeholders await the judge’s decision on the proposed death penalty.
