By Oluwatoyin Makinde
The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on seven counts of terrorism filed against him by the Federal Government.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgement on Thursday, ruling that the prosecution had presented “credible and sufficient evidence” to prove its case. The court noted that Kanu chose not to enter a defence, opting instead to rest his case on the prosecution’s evidence — a decision the judge said left the court with no choice but to convict him.
Justice Omotosho faulted what he described as Kanu’s violent approach toward achieving a Biafra nation, aligning it with the operations of a terrorist organisation.
Following the conviction, lead prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty under counts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the charge, noting that the offences attract the death sentence.
Awomolo argued that Kanu had shown “no remorse whatsoever,” referencing his confrontational conduct in court earlier in the day.
Sentencing is expected to follow after final allocutus by the defence, although courtroom tensions remain high amid heavy security presence.
