Federal High Court Jails Nnamdi Kanu for Life on Terrorism Charges.

Federal High Court Jails Nnamdi Kanu for Life on Terrorism Charges.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has handed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu a life sentence after finding him guilty of a series of terrorism-related offences.

Presiding judge Justice James Omotosho ruled that Kanu’s broadcasts and directives amounted to terrorism, holding him responsible for deadly attacks, arson, and widespread disruption across the South-East region.

The court found that his orders for sit-at-home actions, inflammatory rhetoric, and leadership of a proscribed group fuelled violence against security agents and government infrastructure.

Although prosecutors urged the court to impose the death penalty, the judge opted for life imprisonment, citing considerations of mercy while still insisting that Kanu must be permanently kept out of society.

Additional custodial terms attached to some of the counts are to run concurrently, effectively leaving Kanu with a lifelong jail term.

The judgement, delivered amid tight security and intense public interest, is one of the most consequential terrorism rulings in Nigeria in recent years.

It is expected to trigger strong reactions from IPOB supporters, human rights advocates, and political leaders within and outside the country.