The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on all seven terrorism-related charges filed against him by the Federal Government.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Thursday, November 20th, after finding Kanu guilty of leading a proscribed organisation, inciting violence, and issuing threats that resulted in loss of life, destruction of property, and disruption of socio-economic activities across states.
The court subsequently sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment, confirming that his actions “constituted acts of terrorism” punishable under Nigerian law. Below is a breakdown of the seven counts on which Kanu was convicted, based on court documents:
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7 Terrorism Offences Nnamdi Kanu Was Convicted For
1. Broadcasting Secession Plans for a Biafran Republic
The court found that Kanu used Radio Biafra broadcasts in 2014 and 2015 to outline preparations by IPOB members for several states in the South-East, South-South, and parts of Kogi and Benue to secede from Nigeria. This, the judge ruled, violated Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act.
2. Defamatory Broadcasts Against the President
Kanu was found guilty of using Radio Biafra in April 2015 to refer to then-President Muhammadu Buhari as a “paedophile,” “terrorist,” “idiot,” and “embodiment of evil,” statements the court said were false and unlawful under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
3. Illegal Importation of a Radio Transmitter
The court established that Kanu illegally imported a TRAM 50L radio transmitter into Nigeria in 2015, concealing it in a shipment declared as used household items. This violated Section 47(2) of the Criminal Code Act.
4. Membership and Leadership of IPOB, a Proscribed Terrorist Organisation
Between 2018 and 2021, Kanu publicly professed membership of IPOB through broadcasts monitored in Enugu and Abuja. The organisation was already proscribed at the time, making his actions an offence under Section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
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5. Incitement to Hunt Down Security Personnel and Their Families
In an April 2021 broadcast, Kanu urged IPOB members to seek out security operatives and their families. The court ruled that this call-to-action, monitored on Radio Biafra 102.1 FM, amounted to an act of terrorism under Section 1(2)(h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
6. Issuing a Threat of Widespread Violence
On 16 May 2021, Kanu declared in a broadcast that “in two weeks… people will die, the whole world will stand still,” a statement the court described as a clear threat intended to incite violence. He was convicted under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
7. Deadly Sit-At-Home Order and Threat Against Defaulters
On 31 May 2021, Kanu warned that anyone who defied his sit-at-home order should “write his or her will.” The threat led to the closure of banks, markets, fuel stations, and schools, while vehicular movement was paralysed. This, the court ruled, amounted to terrorism under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
Sentencing Breakdown
The court handed Kanu multiple sentences, including:
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Life imprisonment for Counts 1, 4, 5, and 6
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20 years’ imprisonment for Count 3
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5 years’ imprisonment for Count 7
All sentences are without the option of a fine.
IPOB Rejects Judgment, Says Kanu “Committed No Offence”
The Indigenous People of Biafra has rejected Thursday’s judgment sentencing its leader to life imprisonment, insisting that Nnamdi Kanu “committed no offence known to Nigerian law.” In a statement issued on Friday by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, the group argued that Kanu’s actions amounted to self-determination, a right it said is protected under international conventions including:
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Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
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Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
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Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
The group faulted Justice Omotosho’s ruling, claiming no evidence of violence or weapon possession was ever linked to Kanu. The statement read in part:
No gun, no grenade, no GPMG, no explosive, and no attack plan was ever found on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. No witness, civilian or military, ever testified before any court at any stage that he committed any offence. The only thing the Federal Government continues to criminalise is self-determination.
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IPOB also alleged that the judge failed to apply Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that a person cannot be convicted of an offence unless it is clearly defined in a written law. The group questioned whether the statutes the judge relied on were repealed, insisting that “no Nigerian can be tried or convicted under a non-existent law.”
IPOB argued that insecurity in the South-East worsened while Kanu was in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), stating that such incidents “cannot logically be attributed to him.” It also referenced alleged military attacks on IPOB members, including during “Operation Python Dance”, accusing the government of failing to hold security operatives accountable for killings in Nkpor, Aba, Onitsha, and Emene.
READ MORE HERE: Troops neutralise IPOB/ESN terrorists, recover weapons in Imo
The group announced plans to release a comprehensive legal analysis of the judgment and to continue engaging international bodies over what it describes as human-rights violations and judicial inconsistencies.
