Reuters
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A Nigerian court on Thursday convicted separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu on all seven terrorism-related charges after a decade-long trial that stoked tensions in the country’s southeast.
Judge James Omotosho said the prosecution, which sought the death penalty for Kanu, had proven that his now-banned broadcasts and orders to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group incited deadly attacks on security forces and civilians.
The violence was part of his push for an independent state of Biafra in the Igbo-controlled region, which sought to break away as the Republic of Biafra in 1967, sparking a three-year civil war that killed more than a million people.
“His intentions were very clear as he believed in violence. These threats of violence were nothing less than acts of terrorism legitimately carried out by his followers,” Omotojo said.
Security was tightened around the Abuja courthouse amid fears of protests and violence. Analysts have warned that the conviction could fuel separatist sentiment and complicate efforts to restore calm in the region, where authorities have blamed IPOB for a series of deadly attacks.
Kanu, who has been in custody since his controversial rearrest in Kenya in 2021, yelled in opposition to the proceedings and was removed from the courtroom ahead of sentencing. He had argued that his illegal extradition from Kenya undermined his chances of a fair trial.
Thursday’s decision came after months of courtroom drama involving four different judges. The government closed the case after calling five witnesses, but Kanu refused to defend himself, arguing that Nigeria’s terrorism laws had been repealed and the charges were invalid.
After being dismissed from his defense team in open court, his no-contest filing was dismissed in September, and the judge gave him multiple chances to present his defense.
In early November, Ohonjo ruled that Kanu had wasted the six-day deadline allotted for his defense, and the court had no choice but to close the case.
Kanu, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, was first charged in 2015 and briefly released on bail in 2017 before fleeing the country.
