The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on terrorism-related charges after a decade-long legal battle with the Nigerian government.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Thursday, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case that Kanu committed acts of terrorism through his directives and broadcasts.
“It is clear from the evidence that the defendant committed a terrorism act. The defendant is convicted in respect of count one,” Justice Omotosho declared.
The judge is still delivering judgment on additional counts, including allegations that Kanu ordered unlawful sit-at-home directives across the South-East.
Earlier in the proceedings, Kanu disrupted the court session, insisting that judgment could not be delivered until he was shown the specific law he allegedly breached. He also argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to try him. His behaviour prompted Justice Omotosho to order security personnel to escort him out of the courtroom.
Nnamdi Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treasonable felony. After jumping bail in 2017, he was rearrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in 2021.
His conviction comes months after the leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, was sentenced to six years in prison in Finland for inciting violence related to unrest in Nigeria.
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