In a tense, marathon sitting that stretched over seven hours, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, November 20, 2025, sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on all seven terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the verdict after a dramatic proceeding marked by confrontations, courtroom disruptions, and Kanu’s eventual removal for what the judge described as “unruly” conduct.
The tension peaked when Kanu repeatedly interrupted the judge, accused him of bias, and rejected the proceedings because he had not filed a final written address. He shouted: “Any judgment declared in this court is rubbish. Which law allows you to charge me under an unwritten law?”
Following the outburst, Justice Omotosho ordered security operatives to escort him out, ruling that a trial can proceed in a defendant’s absence if the defendant disrupts the process.
With Kanu gone, the judge concluded the judgment: life imprisonment on counts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6; 20 years without the option of a fine on count 3; and five years without the option of a fine on count 7. All sentences will run concurrently.
Omotosho said the offences carried the death penalty but he “tempered justice with mercy,” citing Christian teachings and the international shift away from capital punishment.
The judge ruled that Kanu’s broadcasts, including threats, violent rhetoric, sit-at-home orders, and calls for armed resistance, amounted to acts of terrorism.
He listed the shutdown of markets, killings, including that of APC chieftain Ahmed Gulak, and widespread fear across the South-East as consequences of Kanu’s directives.
The court also ordered that Kanu be held in a special protective facility outside the Kuje Custodial Centre due to past jailbreaks and potential threats to his safety.
The seized radio transmitter used for Radio Biafra broadcasts was forfeited to the Federal Government.
Hours after the verdict, leaders from the South-East moved quickly to calm rising tensions, insisting that Kanu’s fate now rests with a political settlement.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, speaking on behalf of the region’s leaders, declared: “All hope is not lost. Now that the court has completed its task, we will intensify our appeals to President Bola Tinubu. A political solution is underway.”
Kalu’s statement, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, affirmed confidence that President Tinubu would listen to their pleas and urged residents to remain calm.
Kanu’s legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, told journalists that the judgment would be immediately challenged: “This is a travesty of justice. We are heading straight to the Court of Appeal, and if necessary, the Supreme Court. This conviction will not stand.”
The ruling triggered a wave of condemnation from South-East socio-cultural groups, political leaders, and activists as Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the judgment as “another black day” and accused the judge of “working to a script.”
While the Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders warned of growing public anxiety and urged President Tinubu to intervene “as a father of the nation”, the South East Revival Group called the judgment “a judicial aberration” and demanded a review by the National Judicial Council.
The Igbo Community Association, Abuja, warned that the sentence threatens “the fragile peace” in the region.
Senior lawyers, including Ngozi Olehi (SAN) and Prof. Francis Dike (SAN), described the matter as deeply political and called for a political resolution despite the conviction.
