Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of terrorism.
The sentencing was announced on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the federal high court, Abuja.
Kanu was handed the life imprisonment sentence for Counts 4, 5 and 6 of the seven-count charges, while he was handed a 20-year jail term for Count 3.
Delivering judgment, James Omotosho, the presiding judge, held that the prosecution had successfully established every allegation.
He said Kanu offered no credible defence and “deliberately refused” to challenge the evidence presented in court.
The judge said the IPOB leader was “a person who cannot be allowed to remain in the company of sane minds”, while describing him as an “international terrorist”.
He said Kanu’s claim of being a freedom fighter could not excuse actions taken outside the bounds of the law.
Omotosho noted that Kanu pursued his agitation through “brutal force and terrorism”, which caused the “bloodshed of innocent citizens”.
THE DEATH PENALTY REQUEST
The federal government, through Adegboyega Awomolo, a senior advocate of Nigeria and senior counsel in the matter, had earlier asked for the death penalty.
“The punishment prescribed for the offences in Counts One, Two, Four, Five and Six, pursuant to Section 12H of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, is death,” he said.
“With all sense of humility, I say as a prosecutor that this court has no discretion in that regard.
“The only sentence Your Lordship can impose for Counts One, Two, Four, Five and Six is death, because the law empowers you to do so, and we expect that you will.”
However, the judge said that while the IPOB founder’s crimes merited the death penalty, he opted for a life sentence to show mercy
