The Federal High Court in Abuja has delivered a major ruling against the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice James Omotosho, on Thursday, found the separatist leader guilty on all seven terrorism-related counts filed by the Federal Government.
The decision immediately attracted wide reactions, as the court also ordered that Kanu serve a life sentence.
Kanu’s conviction followed years of legal battles, multiple failed attempts by his legal team to halt proceedings, and several adjournments that kept the trial in the public spotlight.
The court held that his activities, broadcasts, and directives posed grave threats to national security.
Below is the full breakdown of the charges that led to his conviction:
Count One
Kanu was accused of broadcasting from London in 2014 and 2015 on Radio Biafra, where he discussed “preparations made… for states in the South-East and South-South zones… to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The court ruled that this amounted to an offence punishable under Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act.
Count Two
He was charged for an April 28, 2015 broadcast in which he referred to then-President Muhammadu Buhari as “a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil,” an act the court said violated Section 375 of the Criminal Code.
Count Three
Kanu was found guilty of importing a TRAM 50L radio transmitter into Nigeria, allegedly concealed in a container marked as household items.
The equipment was kept in Ubulusiuzor, Anambra State.
The court said this breached Section 47(2) of the Criminal Code.
Count Four
Between 2018 and 2021, Kanu reportedly “professed to be a member of IPOB,” which has been banned in Nigeria.
This, the judge said, contravened Section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
Count Five
The court held that Kanu used Radio Biafra on April 22, 2021 to “incite” his followers to hunt for security operatives and their families.
The judge described this as an act of terrorism under Section 1(2)(h) of the Act.
Count Six
Kanu was also convicted for a threatening broadcast made on May 16, 2021, where he declared:
“In 2 weeks’ time, what will happen will shake the world, people will die, the whole world will stand still, mark my word.”
The statement, the court ruled, fell under acts punishable by Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
Count Seven
The final count centred on his May 31, 2021 broadcast ordering a sit-at-home directive and warning that anyone who disobeyed should “write his/her will.”
The order led to widespread shutdowns across the South-East, including the closure of banks, markets, and schools.
The court described the threat as a terrorist act under Section 1(2)(b).
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had proved all charges beyond reasonable doubt.
With the judgment now delivered, attention is expected to shift to possible appeals from Kanu’s legal team.