Reactions have continued to pour in following the life sentence handed to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who was convicted on multiple terrorism charges by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment delivered last Thursday, found Kanu guilty on all seven counts preferred against him by the Federal Government and sentenced him to life imprisonment on five counts, while he got 20 and five years respectively on the remaining counts. The judge said though the law provided death for terrorism, he would not impose such a sentence, given the attitude of the world community to capital punishment and his inclination towards mercy. He ordered that Kanu be detained in protective custody outside Kuje Prison and made an order for the forfeiture of equipment, including a radio transmitter he imported illegally.
Kanu, who represented himself in parts of the trial, was unruly during the proceedings and, at one point, was ordered out of the courtroom by the judge. Earlier, the Federal Government’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence because Kanu showed no remorse and carried on with militant defiance throughout the trial.
Kanu’s Legal Team Heads for Appeal
Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, said the ruling was not acceptable and that there would be an appeal against the conviction at the Court of Appeal and, if need be, at the Supreme Court. “The judgment given today is a travesty of justice; what the court has done is punish Kanu for his speech,” Ejimakor said. He justified Kanu’s decision to represent himself in court by comparing his case to other historic political trials, citing examples such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.
Sowore: ‘Do Not Cry for Kanu’
Activist Omoyele Sowore had called on supporters not to mourn the judgement, maintaining that the conviction was a predetermined one. He said history has always shown that such political convictions with roots in injustice hardly ever survive the test of time.
Condemnation Across Board
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) described the verdict as a miscarriage of justice and a violation of constitutional safeguards. The group faulted the court for proceeding while appeals on jurisdiction and the legality of the charges were pending.
Former Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, described the sentence handed down as “another black day,” demanding that President Bola Tinubu should step in to release Kanu unconditionally. Similarly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe expressed the view that the outcome was not in doubt given the apparent unequal application of justice across regions in the country.
The Fear of Escalating Tension
Although calm prevailed in Anambra State immediately after the judgment, analysts and residents cautioned that the sentence could only trigger fresh insecurity in the South-East. Lawyer Maxwell Ezeude argued that even though the judgment followed legal procedure, the government missed an opportunity for political reconciliation.
Civil society activists and residents said they thought that the outcome was predetermined and would probably heighten political tension. Some also pointed to issues repeatedly evoked by Kanu, such as insecurity and political distrust, in calling for a political settlement, not hard-line punishment.
Political Resolution Still Possible
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, assured that efforts are underway to secure Kanu’s release through political means. He urged Nigerians, especially those in the South-East, to remain calm, insisting that “all hope is not lost.” Similarly, founding chairman of APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie, appealed to President Tinubu to offer Kanu a presidential pardon, cautioning that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads and must choose unity over escalation. As the legal and political battles continue, the conviction of Nnamdi Kanu has remained a lightning rod for debate on justice, national cohesion, security management, and the future of agitation in the South-East.
