Nnamdi Kanu Sentenced to Life for Terrorism Charges

A Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, to life imprisonment on Thursday after convicting him on multiple terrorism-related charges. The 58-year-old, who holds Nigerian and British citizenship, faces the sentence for counts involving terrorism, while receiving 20 years for belonging to a proscribed group and five years for unlawfully importing a radio transmitter. Justice James Omotosho ordered Kanu held in protective custody at any facility outside Kuje Prison in Abuja and forfeited the transmitter to the federal government.

The court found Kanu guilty of using IPOB and his Radio Biafra broadcasts to incite attacks on security forces and civilians in southeastern Nigeria. Prosecutors presented evidence that he ordered illegal sit-at-home shutdowns, which disrupted economic activity, and instructed supporters on bomb-making targeting government sites. Although the charges carried a possible death penalty, Omotosho opted for life imprisonment, stating that capital punishment is increasingly disfavored. He described Kanu as unruly during the trial, at one point ordering him removed from the courtroom after he...