After a legal journey spanning a decade, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been convicted and sentenced by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice James Omotosho found Kanu guilty on all seven terrorism-related charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment on four counts, with additional concurrent terms on others.
Kanu’s trial, which began in 2015, has been one of the most contentious and closely watched legal proceedings in Nigeria. His initial arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) on treasonable felony and unlawful association charges sparked widespread protests across southeastern Nigeria and among the diaspora.
In 2016, the federal government formally filed multiple charges, but conflicting rulings on bail kept Kanu in detention for much of the year. By April 2017, he was granted bail on health grounds by Justice Binta Nyako, only for him to disappear following a military operation in the Southeast later that year. The government subsequently revoked his bail and declared him wanted.
Kanu resurfaced abroad in 2018, first in Israel and then in the United Kingdom, where he continued broadcasting on Radio Biafra and issuing separatist statements. His continued activism led to the escalation of charges during the COVID-19 era in 2020.
In a dramatic turn in June 2021, Kanu was forcibly returned to Nigeria in an extraordinary rendition. He was re-arraigned on 11 amended terrorism charges and detained at DSS headquarters in Abuja, prompting diplomatic concern and renewed protests from his supporters.
In October 2022, the Court of Appeal ruled that his rendition violated international law, ordering his release, but the Federal Government immediately obtained a stay of execution, keeping Kanu in detention. Over the following year, multiple applications for bail, transfer, and improved detention conditions were denied, amid public debate about his health and rights.
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By 2024, preparations for resuming the trial intensified. Kanu repeatedly refused to appear in court, insisting that the earlier appeal court judgment ordering his release be obeyed.
In early 2025, Justice Omotosho resumed the hearing on the remaining seven terrorism counts. Kanu maintained his refusal to open a defence, which the court eventually deemed an “admission by conduct.” On 20 November 2025, the judge pronounced him guilty, handing down life imprisonment on four counts, with other sentences running concurrently.
The verdict has elicited polarized reactions. The Federal Government hailed the judgment as a victory for the rule of law and national unity, while human rights groups criticized the trial as politically charged. Observers note that Kanu’s decade-long legal battle highlights enduring tensions in Nigeria over secessionist movements, governance, and the balance between security and civil liberties.