KANU SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT ON TERRORISM CHARGES
Delivering the judgment, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, linking Kanu’s broadcasts and directives to violence, bomb-making instructions, attacks on security personnel, and widespread disruption across the South-East through enforced sit-at-home orders.
The Federal Government had earlier pushed for the death penalty, arguing that the magnitude of casualties and destruction linked to IPOB activities warranted the heaviest punishment under Nigeria’s anti-terrorism laws. The court, however, opted for life imprisonment, with Justice Omotosho noting the global shift away from capital punishment and the need to temper justice with mercy.
Kanu, who dismissed his legal team and refused to open a defence, insisted throughout the trial that the court lacked jurisdiction. The court subsequently foreclosed his defence after he failed to present any witnesses or evidence in his favour.
Ahead of sentencing, Hon. Obi Aguocha, a member of the House of Representatives and longtime acquaintance of the separatist leader, pleaded for leniency. He warned that an extreme verdict could heighten tensions in the already volatile South-East region.
Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen, has been a central figure in the renewed agitation for Biafra. He was first arrested in 2015 and later re-arrested in 2021 under controversial circumstances after being brought back to Nigeria from Kenya. IPOB, the group he founded, was proscribed in 2017 and has been blamed by security agencies for numerous attacks tied to its sit-at-home enforcement.
The sentencing is considered a major milestone in the Federal Government’s crackdown on separatist violence. However, analysts warn that the judgment may further inflame sentiments in the South-East, where Kanu remains a highly influential figure among pro-Biafra sympathizers.