Mixed Reactions Trail Nnamdi Kanu’s Life Sentence

Reactions have continued to trail the life sentence a court meted out on the leader of the Biafran nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu, the leader of the proscribed  Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sentenced to life imprisonment for acts of terrorism.

Acts of terrorism carry a death sentence, but Justice James Omotosho, in his judgement, said he chose to impose life imprisonment on Kanu because of the attitude of the global community to the death sentence.

The Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu shortly after delivering its final judgement in the seven-count charges brought against him by the federal government.

The judge said that although Kanu was a militant, unremorseful and exhibited unruly behaviour since 2015, he was mindful of being lenient with him.

Apart from the life imprisonment, the radio transmitter Kanu unlawfully brought into the country was ordered to be forfeited to the federal government, along with other equipment.

The judge said that because of Kanu’s violent nature, he should be made to serve the jail term in protective custody in any part of the country.

Before the court read out its judgement after he was convicted of the crime, the federal government had demanded the imposition of a death sentence on Kanu following his conviction on terrorism charges.

Counsel for the federal government, Adegboyega Awomolo, told the court that the sections of the law under which Kanu was charged and convicted carried a death sentence without any option.

Addressing the court after the conviction was pronounced, the senior lawyer stated that the court had no discretion but to impose the maximum punishment on him, in line with the dictates of the law.

Awomolo stated that Kanu, throughout the trial, did not show remorse for the offences he committed against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but instead chose to be militant, arrogant, and unruly in his attitude.

He also demanded that all properties seized from Kanu on account of being used to promote terrorism against Nigeria and its citizens be forfeited to the federal government.

The prosecution counsel equally demanded that Kanu be taken to a prison where his security will be guaranteed until the judgement against him is executed.

Before the delivery of the judgment, Justice Omotosho had ordered Kanu to be moved from the courtroom after he became unruly midway through the proceedings.

The judge had ruled and dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu after the case was adjourned for judgement, finding them to be unmeritorious.

As the judge moved to deliver the ruling, Kanu argued that the court could not proceed because he had yet to file his final written address.

Raising his voice, Kanu accused the judge of bias and claimed that the judge did not know the law.

In the judgement on the substantive matter, Kanu was found guilty and convicted on all the offences contained in the seven-count terrorism charge.

Justice Omotosho found him guilty on all the counts in the charge prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The judge held that the prosecution had provided sufficient credible evidence to establish its case against Kanu.

The judge said the court has no option but to believe the evidence as presented by the prosecution, since the defendant failed to enter a defence and chose to gamble by resting his case at trial.

Justice James Omotosho, while concluding his judgement, sentenced him to life imprisonment in relation to counts one, two, four, five and six of the seven-count charge in which he was prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

For count three, relating to the offences of belonging to a proscribed terrorist group, Justice Omotosho sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

On count seven, bordering on his unlawful importation of a radio transmitter for the purpose of furthering the clandestine activities of Radio Biafra, which is not registered in Nigeria, the judge sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

He said the sentence shall run concurrently

The judge, who noted that Kanu had been unruly all through the trial, said the law allowed the court to sentence him to death for the terrorism offences, but that he (the judge), as a Christian, chose to be merciful to the defendant.

Justice Omotosho ordered that the defendant be kept in protective custody in any part of the country, except in Kuje Prison, Abuja, and that the radio transmitter be forfeited to the federal government.

 

We’ll appeal – Kanu’s Lawyer

–Explains Kanu’s decision to defend himself

Counsel for Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has vowed to challenge the life sentence handed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

Ejimakor spoke shortly after Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six, instead of a death sentence.

“We are heading to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal is the only court in this country that sits as a jury. We will ask the justices to check what happened today,” the lawyer said.

Ejimakor described the judgement as “a symbol of the travesty of justice that everybody had suspected,” and argued that the conviction lacked a legal basis.

“If the Court of Appeal disagrees with us, we head to the Supreme Court. By the grace of God Almighty, Nnamdi Kanu will not be convicted. Today is the only day I have seen a man convicted for what he said, not what he did.

“The sentence is overboard, cruel and unusual. How can you convict a man for broadcasting in an unnamed location? He never tied that broadcast to any violence, not even someone slapping someone,” he said.

Ejimakor maintained that the decision “cannot be grounded in logic” and vowed to resist it.

Ejimakor  also defended Kanu’s decision to represent himself during the trial.

He said other prominent figures, including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr, at some point defended themselves.

“This is a politically charged case, and a strategic decision was made that he could do a better job than the lawyers. Lawyers operate under strict decorum which, in a politically sensitive case, can sometimes be prejudicial.”

Ejimakor also criticised the prosecutorial approach, noting that it appeared to target Kanu because of his regional background.

“The case wasn’t complex; it depended on a misguided prosecutorial policy that zeroed in on him, perhaps because of where he comes from. There is a need for equal treatment under the law to avoid perceptions of sectionalised justice.”

Addressing security concerns in the South-East, Ejimakor said:

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is committed to non-violence. People may be angry because of the perception that this issue is sectionalised, but that perception can be addressed by fairer government policies.

“Treat everyone equally—whether from the North, East or West. When one region is singled out, it heightens alienation and worsens the very problems the authorities are trying to solve: problems of inclusion and exclusion.”

 

Don’t Cry For Nnamdi Kanu – Sowore

Activist and founder of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has called on Nigerians and their global supporters not to weep for the acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, following his life sentence. According to Sowore, they have encountered similar circumstances before, adding that history has shown they will always prevail.

In a post on his X account, Sowore stated, “Don’t cry for @MaziNnamdiKanu. Cry for those who, from East to West, North to South, conspired to betray the cause of justice. Cry for those who celebrate injustice, believing it strengthens their position. We have been here before, and history teaches that they have never triumphed in the end.

Sowore remarked that on 5th November 2025, “I publicly warned that the verdict in Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case had already been decided by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime. Today, they executed that script word for word.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, and based on credible information I received directly from individuals within the regime, this was my submission at the time:

 

Mixed Reactions Trail Life Imprisonment Judgement

Mixed reactions trailed the life imprisonment imposed on Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The judgement, they submitted, wears the toga of a travesty of justice and is politically motivated.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Friday, a respondent who did not want his name mentioned stressed that the Federal Government should intervene and release Nnamdi Kanu to ensure peace and security in Imo State and the South-East zone.

“I expect the Federal Government to intervene at this point and grant him a pardon, with a view to restoring absolute peace and tranquillity in the South-East zone.”

In its contribution, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the judgement delivered on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, describing it as a travesty of justice and a violation of constitutional guarantees of fair hearing.

This position was made known through a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Friday by Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA.

The group said the ruling failed to address critical legal and constitutional questions raised by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu—particularly his objections that he was being tried under a repealed counter-terrorism law and that the court lacked competence to proceed while related appeals were still pending before higher courts.

HURIWA stated that the judgement amounted to what it termed judicial haste, judicial avoidance and judicial injustice, insisting that the court should have suspended its decision until the Court of Appeal resolved the outstanding jurisdictional and procedural disputes.

The association questioned why Justice Omotosho appeared determined to rush to judgement despite Kanu’s repeated insistence that fresh motions and notices had been filed at the appellate court challenging the legality of the trial, the non-existence of the charges, the prosecution’s refusal to respond to his applications, and the use of an already repealed law to frame the allegations against him.

According to court records referenced by the group, Kanu personally informed the judge that he had filed processes challenging the validity of the charges under the repealed Terrorism Prevention Act 2013, which was replaced by the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

He maintained that the charge sheet failed to disclose any existing written law as required under Section 36(12) of the Constitution—a defect he said vitiated the entire trial. Despite these objections, HURIWA noted that Justice Omotosho insisted at various points that he would deliver judgement regardless of the pending matters—a posture the rights group described as judicial aggression against due process.

HURIWA criticised the court for refusing to address what it called the most fundamental issue in the case: why the Federal Government was prosecuting Kanu under a law that no longer exists.

 

“It’s Another Black Day in Igboland” – Former Ohanaeze Ndigbo Leader

The immediate past national vice-president of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, has decried the life sentence handed to the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, over terrorism charges preferred against him.

Reacting to the judgement of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, the former Ohanaeze leader urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently order the unconditional release of the IPOB leader, notwithstanding the judgement.

He lamented that despite the “3Rs” declaration by then military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, immediately after the Nigeria–Biafra war, a judgement like the one handed down by Justice Omotosho was still being delivered against an Igbo man.

Asked for his reaction to the sentencing of the IPOB leader to life imprisonment, he told LEADERSHIP: “It is another black day in the Igbo nation and the entire nation at large.

“The judgement is unacceptable. We call on President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu or grant him unconditional release.”

 

Nnamdi Kanu: We Are Not Surprised – Abaribe

Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Thursday, bemoaned the conviction and sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for terrorism, saying the outcome was foretold and not surprising.

In a statement issued to journalists in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, the Senator said the life sentence handed down to Kanu was a preconceived plot that does not surprise the Igbo nation and other right-thinking Nigerians.

Abaribe stated that at the time, the Federal Government refused to consider pleas to extend amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu – as had been done for others – he knew that today’s outcome was imminent.

“Is it not an irony,” he said, “that negotiations and peace deals with rampaging terrorists in the North-East and North-West were gleefully initiated by local governments, states and the Federal Government, just like the amnesty granted to ex-militants in the South-South, who were rewarded with lucrative oil pipeline contracts? This is to say that justice in Nigeria is not for the South-East.”

“So we are not surprised. Our people can only endure and hope for a time when justice in Nigeria would become the sine qua non. We have done our best; we have repeatedly urged the authorities to be circumspect and to at least accede to a pardon for the sake of unity and inclusiveness,” he said.

Senator Abaribe nonetheless declared that the Igbo nation is now left with no option but to place its fate squarely on the desk of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We ask the Igbo nation and other lovers of Nigeria to remain calm, pray, and not take the law into their own hands.

“May Nigeria succeed, thrive, and advance in justice, equity and fairness,” Abaribe added.

 

Nnamdi Kanu’s Life Imprisonment Opens Door for Review, Says Legal Analyst

The court verdict sentencing Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment has sparked debate over whether the outcome is a fair judicial decision or politically motivated.

Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, a current affairs analyst, explained the significance of Kanu remaining in prison.

Reflecting on the outcome of the trial, Prof Adeniyi said it was gratifying that the judge did not impose the death penalty.

“Life imprisonment gives some room, a positive window. Higher courts are still there—the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court. There might be opportunities for review in the future. The political solution is still ongoing, and the narrative is not ended yet. We may still see consequential reviews in the short or long term.”

He added that sentiments surrounding the case resonate strongly within the region.

“I was expecting that it would have been resolved long before now. But other issues kept arising. The personality in question appears somewhat temperate.

“Seeing him in calls and in public spaces, he appears slightly unrepentant, consistently saying things that could irritate the powers prosecuting him.”

 

Kanu’s Life Imprisonment: Recipe for Heightened Insecurity

The life imprisonment handed to the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been described as a recipe for heightened insecurity in the South-East.

Those who reacted, in interviews with LEADERSHIP in Awka, to the judgement delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Thursday said that rather than convicting the IPOB leader, the Federal Government—through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice—should have found a political solution to the case in the interest of reconciliation and nation-building.

Those who spoke include a lawyer, Maxwell Ezeude; civil society activist Uchenna Chukwuka of the Value City Gate Foundation; and a civil servant, Mr Olisa Okeke.

Although LEADERSHIP observed that there had been no protest and that everywhere in Anambra State remained peaceful with people going about their normal business, those interviewed expressed fears that the sentencing of the IPOB leader might trigger serious insecurity in the South-East region in the future.

Ezeude said that although Justice Omotosho’s judgement was proper in the eyes of the law, since Nnamdi Kanu refused to counter the prosecution’s case by entering a “no case submission”, the Federal Government ought to have applied a political solution in resolving the matter in the interest of reconciliation and nation-building.

The lawyer argued that because Kanu refused to counter the prosecution’s case, Justice Omotosho had no alternative but to uphold the trial verdict.

But both Chukwuka and Okeke insisted strongly that the sentence passed on the IPOB leader was predetermined.

“What happened today—the sentencing of Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment—was a script written since his extraordinary rendition.

“The sentencing of Nnamdi Kanu will bring more calamity to the South East; the security challenges we are witnessing are going to triple,” the activist lamented.

In his reaction, Okeke warned that the APC-led Federal Government is deliberately persecuting the IPOB leader for exposing the insecurity that the administration has brought into the country since it came to power during the tenure of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Nnamdi Kanu said that Fulani terrorists would ravage Nigeria. Is this not what has been happening since the Buhari government took office?

“Nnamdi Kanu said there was no need to conduct an election in 2023—that Tinubu would take over from Buhari. Did it not happen?” he added.

He lamented that the country has been thrown into an abnormal situation and warned that there is a need for all patriotic citizens to join hands to save the nation from irreversible anarchy.

 

All Hope Not Lost for Nnamdi Kanu — Plans Underway to Secure His Release, Says Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has expressed optimism that the IPOB leader will be freed through a political approach, saying all hope is not lost.

Kalu’s statement came after the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on Thursday.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu said a political solution is being pursued to secure Kanu’s release.

The Abia federal lawmaker urged people of the South-East—and indeed all Nigerians—to remain calm, assuring them that all hope is not lost.

 

Life Imprisonment: Okorie Urges Tinubu to Grant Kanu Pardon

The founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate steps to invoke special presidential dispensation to halt Nnamdi Kanu’s highly incendiary matter and grant him a pardon without allowing the parties to proceed with appeals.

Okorie, now National Chairman of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue, said this while reacting to the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja that sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment.

He stated that there are several flashpoints in Nigeria at this time, adding that the country is at the centre of the storm in the comity of nations.

The Igbo leader maintained that the ball is now in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s court, insisting that how he responds to this pivotal moment will determine the direction of several national outcomes.