Nnamdi Kanu has been convicted on terrorism charges by a Federal High Court in Abuja, with the judge ruling that his Radio Biafra broadcasts incited violence and threatened national security
Court Convicts Nnamdi Kanu on Terrorism Charges, Says Broadcasts Incited Violence and Threatened National Security
After several years of a highly publicised trial, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on three of the seven terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government, and found him guilty on the remaining four counts.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the ruling, citing multiple pieces of prosecution evidence—including Radio Biafra broadcasts and video interviews in which Kanu issued threats against Nigeria and its citizens—as central to the conviction.
One of the charges was an offence under Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act, accusing Kanu of using Radio Biafra broadcasts between 2014 and 2015 to disseminate preparations for the secession of several states in the South-East, South-South, and parts of Kogi and Benue from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to form Biafra.
The judge said evidence showed that Kanu personally ordered the sit-at-home directives in the South-East. He noted that the IPOB leader failed to defend himself on the allegation.
Kanu was also convicted for describing former President Muhammadu Buhari as “a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil,” a violation of Section 375 of the Criminal Code.
Justice Omotosho ruled that Kanu’s repeated threats of violence and his instructions to attack security personnel constituted acts of terrorism. He was further found guilty of importing a radio transmitter disguised as used household items, being a member of a proscribed organisation, and inciting IPOB supporters to target security agents and their families.
The court proceeded in Kanu’s absence after he repeatedly disrupted proceedings. His three fresh motions were dismissed as unmeritorious, prompting him to accuse the judge of bias.
He shouted, “Which law states that you can charge me on an unwritten law? Any judgement declared in this court is complete rubbish.”
Following the outburst, the prosecution, led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), asked the court to continue without the defendant. Justice Omotosho agreed, stating that a trial can proceed if a defendant becomes unruly.
Kanu was removed from the court while judgment continued.
Kanu’s legal battle began in 2015 when he was first arrested and charged with treasonable felony. He fled Nigeria in 2017 while on bail. His re-arrest in Kenya in 2021 and return to Nigeria sparked controversy, with his legal team describing it as “extraordinary rendition.”
Last month, his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), withdrew from the case after Kanu allegedly took the case “back from the legal team.”
The court is expected to fix a sentencing date following the conviction. Read More
