The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on multiple counts of terrorism after a decade-long legal battle.
Justice James Omotosho found Kanu guilty of committing acts of terrorism against Nigeria by threatening during a live broadcast that people would die and the world would be at a standstill.
The judge ruled that Kanu knew what he was doing and was bent on carrying out these threats without consideration for his own people, with uncontroverted evidence showing the defendant carried out preparatory acts of terrorism.
Beyond the initial terrorism conviction, Justice Omotosho also found Kanu guilty on charges relating to belonging to a proscribed terror group and inciting his followers to violence. The prosecution provided credible evidence establishing that Kanu belonged to IPOB, which had been proscribed, and its affiliate, the Eastern Security Network.
The court heard evidence that through his broadcasts, Kanu incited his followers to violence which resulted in the killing of security personnel and destruction of property, including police stations across the country.
A key element of the prosecution’s case centered on Kanu’s controversial sit-at-home directive in Nigeria’s South-East region, which caused widespread economic disruption and fear. The court found that Kanu issued deadly threats against anyone who flouted his sit-at-home order.
The conviction sparked palpable tension in the courtroom, according to Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, who confirmed the development on social media.
