Court Convicts Nnamdi Kanu On Terrorism Charges After Reviewing Broadcast Evidence

The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on three of the seven terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho pointed to video recordings and interviews where Kanu issued threats of violence against Nigeria and its citizens. The court held that these broadcasts many of which ordered sit-at-home directives across the South-East amounted to acts of terrorism.

Kanu was found guilty on counts one and two, which centered on inciting violence and killings in pursuit of his separatist agenda, as well as counts four and five related to inflammatory broadcasts during the #EndSARS protests that allegedly contributed to the deaths of security personnel and destruction of public property in Lagos.

The judge dismissed Kanu’s claim of being denied a fair hearing, stressing that the evidence presented established a clear pattern of violent threats. Justice Omotosho noted that the offences carry a maximum penalty of death.

He cited specific instances where Kanu threatened that anyone who defied his sit-at-home orders would be harmed: “If you open your shop, we will burn you in it.” Such directives, he said, were unconstitutional and created an atmosphere of fear that crippled daily life in the region.

The court also referenced Kanu’s broadcasts in which he declared that the Nigerian Army “will die” and that Nigeria itself “will perish.”

With the conviction delivered, the next phase will determine his sentencing, an outcome now awaited with intense public attention.