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…Says ‘I was convicted of fighting for the freedom of Igbos in Biafraland, Sunday Igboho walking free for agitating for the freedom of the Yorubas in Oodua Republic’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Vow: ‘If I die in this liberation process, I’d have no regrets\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *’I fear for my husband\u2019s safety inside the prison’-<\/strong> Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, Wife <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n * ‘There are two justice systems in Nigeria’-Deji Adeyanju, Human Rights lawyer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *\u201cWe are ready to appeal against the conviction of our client, ruling is a travesty of justice\u201d-Legal Team<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *\u201cConviction of Kanu in Nigeria is Grave Injustice\u201d<\/span>-MIKE Arnold, former Mayor of Texas<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *BY SAMUEL AMAECHI, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER\/NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA reporting LIVE from Sokoto State, Nigeria<\/em> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n THE conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Indigenous People of Biafra group, IPOB, a Separatist movement in Nigeria a few days ago has snowballed into multiple views by the Nigerian populace and members of the international community. The latest intelligence reports by reliable eyewitnesses within the environment of Sokoto prisons revealed that \u00a0IPOB leader believes he\u2019s a political prisoner, and not an international terrorist as claimed by courts in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This reliable source who overheard complaints made by Kanu to a few aides, quoted him as saying: \u201cKanu believes strongly he is fighting a just cause to liberate his people in the country. I could hear him call himself a political prisoner, not an international terrorist.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n His aides told me that Kanu said: \u201cI was convicted of fighting for the freedom of Igbos in Biafraland, Sunday Igboho walking free for agitating for the freedom of the Yorubas in Oodua Republic. If I die in this liberation process, I’d have no regrets. I have not committed any crime for fighting for the freedom of my people.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Judge says Nnamdi Kanu used his IPOB group to incite attacks on security officials and civilians. The Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has been sentenced to life in prison on terrorism-related charges by a court in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Judge James Omotosho said prosecutors had shown that Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, had used his IPOB to incite attacks on security officials and civilians in south-east Nigeria and during anti-police protests in Lagos.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe court finds that the defendant, Nnamdi Kanu, is an international terrorist and must be treated accordingly,\u201d Omotosho said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHis intention was quite clear as he believed in violence. These threats of violence were nothing but terrorist acts,\u201d the judge had said earlier while convicting him.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kanu, 58, who had dismissed his legal team and represented himself during the trial, was earlier ejected from court for \u201cunruly\u201d behaviour. \u201cWhich law states that you can charge me on an unwritten law? Show me,\u201d Kanu said before he was removed from the court. \u201cOmotosho, where is the law? Any judgment declared in this court is a complete rubbish.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The IPOB leader was first taken into state custody in October 2015 and faced multiple charges, including treasonable felony. Eighteen months later, he was granted bail before disappearing until a controversial 2021 extradition from Kenya, which his supporters described as an extraordinary rendition.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Prosecutors had called for Kanu to face the death penalty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kanu sought to revive the short-lived state of Biafra, which seceded from Nigeria in 1967, sparking a civil war during which up to 3 million people died.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n After its troops surrendered in 1970, Biafra, which comprised the old Eastern Region \u2013 most of which is today\u2019s south-eastern Nigeria \u2013 was reintegrated into the country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Several secessionist movements have sprung up to protest against what they see as political and economic marginalization of the region, rallying members of the diaspora to donate to the agitation for independence, including training militia in the region\u2019s forests.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n IPOB, seen as the most consequential of these movements, relied for long periods on Kanu\u2019s oratory on the London-based Radio Biafra as a tool of campaign. During Kanu\u2019s time in prison, a splinter group emerged, the Biafran Government in Exile (BGIE), whose self-declared prime minister, Simon Ekpa, was sentenced to six years on terrorism-related charges by a Finnish court in September.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Both groups have been accused of a campaign of terror in south-east Nigeria where militants regularly and violently enforce Mondays as \u201csit-at-home days\u201d, banning business, schooling and other activity.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n According to the geopolitical risk consultancy SBM Intelligence, as many as 700 deaths have been linked to separatist militants since 2021, including a May 2024 incident where five soldiers and six others were killed in an ambush in Abia state. During the conflict, military personnel have also been implicated in multiple cases of human rights abuses.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 2017, IPOB was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian government. Since then, Kanu has hired US lobby firms, including one owned by the ex-congressman Jim Moran. Reports in Nigeria have tied those efforts to the designation of Nigeria as a \u201ccountry of particular concern\u201d this month by Donald Trump, who threatened to attack Nigeria while citing unproven claims of a \u201cChristian genocide\u201d in the north.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Before the final verdict, it emerged that Kanu had written directly to Trump claiming that a \u201cJudeo-Christian genocide\u201d was under way in south-east Nigeria.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *\u201cWe are ready to appeal against the conviction of our client, ruling is a travesty of justice\u201d-Legal Team<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kanu\u2019s legal team has condemned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which on Thursday convicted and sentenced the leader of the IPOB to life imprisonment on terrorism charges. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The lawyers described the verdict delivered by Justice James Omotosho as \u201ca travesty of justice\u201d and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Speaking to journalists after the court session, Kanu\u2019s special counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, said the ruling marked a dark day in Nigeria\u2019s judicial history.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cToday will forever be in Nigeria history. Today is the only day I have witnessed a man being convicted for just what he said from his mouth, not what he did with his own hands,\u201d Ejimakor said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ejimakor argued that the evidence presented in court did not support the conviction handed down.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe verdict is not consistent with the evidence laid before the court. The sentence is overbroad, cruel and unusual,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow can you convict a man for making a mere broadcast from a location that was never named, and you never tied that broadcast to any single incidents of violence, or even someone slapping someone, not to talk of terrorism?\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He insisted that Kanu\u2019s advocacy for self-determination did not amount to a criminal act.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo pursue a separate nation of yours is not a crime. In Nigeria today, if somebody says, \u2018don\u2019t be silly\u2019, he will get convicted.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu made broadcasts, and so what? You convict him for terrorism for mere words in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What kind of precedence is being laid?\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ejimakor said the team would immediately begin the appeal process.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFrom here we are heading to the Court of Appeal. We are going to approach the justices there to check out what happened here today.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are very sure that justices there will agree that today was a symbol of travesty of justice that everybody has been suspecting all along.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf the Court of Appeal disagrees with us, we will head to the Supreme Court, but by God Almighty, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not going to stand convicted. It is going to get overturned.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Another member of the defence team, Barrister Maxwell Okpara, also criticised the judgment, saying it was driven by anger rather than legal reasoning.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Okpara appealed for calm in the South-East, urging supporters not to resort to violence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He said the legal team remained confident that higher courts would correct what they believe to be a grave miscarriage of justice.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *There Are Two Justice Systems in Nigeria -DEJI Adeyanju<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Human Rights activist and lawyer, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, has strongly condemned the conviction and life imprisonment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Adeyanju, who said that the judgment is a bad omen that happened to Kanu, warned that the judgment reflects the deepening insecurity and systemic failure in Nigeria, warning that \u201cno one is safe\u201d.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Adeyanju wrote, “Nigeria has happened to Nnamdi Kanu but MAY NIGERIA NOT HAPPEN TO YOU.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He cautioned Nigerians against celebrating the ruling based on ethnic or tribal sentiments, stressing that the country\u2019s instability affects everyone regardless of background.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou may rejoice today because of tribal or ethnic sentiments, but as long as you live in Nigeria, nothing is guaranteed. We are all victims,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Adeyanju revealed that attacks had already reached communities in Kogi and Kwara, warning that other regions could soon face similar threats.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “They are already attacking my village in Kogi & some other people\u2019s village in Kwara; yours may be next.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n While acknowledging that Kanu may have been wrong on the way he went about some things, Adeyanju insisted that the IPOB leader did not deserve this.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “No one is safe in Nigeria. Kanu was wrong on the way he went about some things, but he did not deserve this.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He contrasted the state\u2019s treatment of Kanu with its handling of armed groups wreaking havoc across the country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMazi Kanu kept in custody for years for demanding for Biafra but those killing thousands of citizens and security officials are pampered and rehabilitated.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The activist added that Nigeria must confront the truth about its worsening security situation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet us tell ourselves the truth for once in this country, look at the way these terrorists are killing citizens all over the place. They are now moving to southern Nigeria in full force. My zone, the North Central, was almost conquered.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It will be recalled that SaharaReporters<\/em> earlier reported that Justice Omotosho on Thursday sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment after condemning what he described as his \u201catrocious\u201d actions.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The judge also noted international objections to giving Kanu the death penalty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The judge said that although Kanu had shown no remorse and continued to display violent, unruly behaviour, the court was compelled to temper justice with mercy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In a ruling that has been roundly criticized, Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on counts 1, 4, 5, and 6.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n For count 7, the court imposed a 20-year prison term without the option of a fine, and an additional 5-year term without the option of a fine on another count.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n All sentences are to run concurrently.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The court noted that the offences bordered on terrorism and that Kanu\u2019s behaviour, even during proceedings, reinforced its conclusion about his propensity for violence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n *IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu\u2019s Wife Condemns Husband\u2019s Conviction, Says Judge Used Dead Law, Invented Evidence<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Uchechi Okwu-Kanu<\/strong>, the wife of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has condemned the life imprisonment sentence handed down by Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja, calling it illegal, biased, and a miscarriage of justice. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Uchechi, in a statement posted on social media, accused the judge of ignoring constitutional requirements, inventing evidence, and deliberately blocking her husband\u2019s right to a fair hearing.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism charges for declaring a \u201csit\u2011at\u2011home\u201d order in the South-East, which the court ruled was enforced through threats and violence. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The court also gave him concurrent sentences of 20 years and five years on other counts. Justice Omotosho cited international concerns over capital punishment in deciding against the death penalty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The trial has attracted national and international attention, with critics alleging political interference. The court linked Kanu\u2019s sit-at-home order to the killing of former presidential aide Ahmed Gulak and accused him of inciting violence through broadcasts. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Justice Omotosho described Kanu as \u201carrogant, cocky, and full of himself,\u201d adding that his rhetoric posed a serious threat to public safety.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Uchechi criticized the trial for alleged multiple procedural breaches, saying, \u201cThe charges brought against Kanu were based on a law that no longer exists (the old Terrorism Act of 2013). The new 2022 Act replaced it. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe judge knew the old law was dead; refused to acknowledge the repeal. Kanu forced to plead under the dead law anyway. This is like charging someone under a law that has been thrown in the dustbin. Illegal. Void.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n She has also accused the judge of inventing evidence, stating: \u201cNigeria\u2019s Constitution says: You cannot be punished for an offence that is not written down in a valid law. But the judge used allegations not in charge, used \u2018facts\u2019 not presented in court, used accusations that no witness ever mentioned.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor example, he claimed Kanu planned to bomb the British and US embassies during EndSARS. This is pure fiction. Nobody in court ever said this. It existed only in the judge\u2019s mind. A judge is not allowed to invent evidence.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n She further condemned the court for misusing the \u201csavings clause,\u201d saying: \u201cA repealed law remains repealed. You cannot continue a case under a law that is no longer valid. The judge put the Act above the Constitution. No court is allowed to do that.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n She also criticised the court for ignoring international law requirements, adding, \u201cSince the government claimed Kanu committed crimes in Kenya, the law requires the court to first check: \u2018Is this thing a crime in Kenya?\u2019 \u2018Did Kenya provide evidence?\u2019 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe answer is: No evidence from Kenya. No Kenyan police report. No Kenyan witness. Nothing. The judge ran away from this issue completely. This means the court had no power to try Kanu on those allegations.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Concluding her critique, she said: \u201cThe judge didn\u2019t follow the law. He didn\u2019t follow the Constitution. He didn\u2019t follow due process. He refused to rule on important issues. He used a dead law. He invented evidence. He blocked the defendant\u2019s right to speak. He delivered a judgment that cannot stand. Therefore: The judgment is worthless. It is illegal. It will not survive appeal. It exposes the judge to disciplinary action.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The sentence has provoked reactions across Nigeria and internationally, with supporters of Kanu warning of heightened tensions in the South-East. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Human rights groups and legal analysts have expressed concern over the fairness of the trial, noting that it could set a precedent for handling high-profile political and separatist cases in the country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/FB_IMG_1763709545406.jpg\")
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