Court sentences Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment
The Federal High Court Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment.
Justice James Omotosho in his Thursday judgement, went for the life imprisonment option instead of the death penalty on counts one, four, five, and six, while also handing Kanu a 20-year and 5-year jail term on counts two and seven respectively.
The judgment is coming four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under conflicting circumstances and brought back to Nigeria, where he subsequently faced a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism.
Kanu during court proceedings on Thursday was removed from the courtroom by order of the judge, due to “unruly behaviour”, while the subsequent judgements were delivered in his absence.
Omotosho stated that several broadcasts by Kanu through Radio Biafra, constituted acts of terrorism, as well as Kanu’s sit-at-home order in south-eastern states, as he lacked the constitutional power to give such order.
Ignoring Kanu’s earlier non-guilty plea to the charges, the court found Kanu guilty of committing acts of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Details later…
