A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on all seven counts of terrorism charges brought by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Following the conviction, the prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), formally requested the court to impose the death penalty, citing provisions within three of the seven-count charges that mandate the punishment without judicial discretion. Justice James Omotosho has adjourned the proceedings to 4:00 PM today for sentencing.
The conviction concludes a prolonged trial that began after Kanu was forcibly repatriated to Nigeria in 2021. The case centers on charges of terrorism, managing an unlawful society, and treasonable felony related to his leadership of IPOB and its paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which the government accuses of inciting violence and disrupting public order in South East region of the country.
Justice Omotosho found Kanu guilty on all seven counts after resolving the legal issues presented during the trial in favor of the prosecution’s arguments. The charges relate to various actions and utterances allegedly aimed at undermining the government and promoting separatist violence.
Awomolo (SAN) stressed that the court must apply the death sentence as specified in the law for certain severe terrorism offenses, eliminating the judge’s ability to offer a lesser punishment.
Beyond the death sentence, the prosecution requested two specific directives:
- The immediate closure, forfeiture, and confiscation of Kanu’s digital media devices and accounts to prevent him from communicating and perpetrating further offenses before execution.
- An order for Kanu’s safety, directing that he be confined in the “safest custodial centre anywhere in Nigeria” until the sentence is carried out, due to Kanu’s status as a divisive figure with powerful friends and potential enemies who might attempt to eliminate him.
In a plea for mercy (allocutus), Obinna Aguocha, the member of the House of Representatives for Kanu’s constituency, did not challenge the conviction but urged the court to consider a sentence that prioritizes the restoration of peace and helps to tackle the terrorism challenges facing the country.
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