BLESSING OMALE, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on several terrorism-related charges, following a judgment that began amid drama and continued in his absence.
Justice James Omotosho, presiding over the case, entered the first set of convictions after finding Kanu guilty on counts linked to engaging in acts of terrorism.
The court held that his repeated sit-at-home directives, issued through numerous broadcasts and accompanied by threats of violence and killings, met the definition of terrorism under Nigerian law.
According to the judge, these broadcasts contributed to widespread fear, economic disruption and attacks across the South-East.
The court also convicted Kanu on additional counts bordering on making incendiary broadcasts, inciting violence and belonging to a proscribed organisation.
Justice Omotosho said credible evidence showed that Kanu remained an active member of IPOB and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), despite their designation as terrorist groups.
He noted that several of Kanu’s broadcasts encouraged violent attacks that resulted in the killing of security personnel and the destruction of public infrastructure, including police stations.
One of the clips tendered in evidence captured Kanu warning residents against disobeying sit-at-home orders and threatening to burn offenders inside their shops.
The judge described these directives as “unconstitutional, subversive and notorious,” adding that they left communities deserted and farmlands abandoned.
Justice Omotosho further ruled that Kanu’s statements during the #EndSARS protests contributed to attacks on state institutions, including the killing of officers and the burning of government property in Lagos.
The court rejected Kanu’s claims that he was denied a fair hearing, insisting that all procedures complied with constitutional standards.
The offences for which he was convicted, the judge stressed, carry penalties of up to death.
Earlier in the day, the proceedings were disrupted when Kanu accused the judge of bias, alleging that the court “did not know the law” and insisting that judgment could not continue because he had not filed his final written address.
His outburst prompted Justice Omotosho to order security personnel to escort him out of the courtroom.
The judge had moments earlier dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu, describing them as unmeritorious and an attempt to reopen issues already concluded and slated for judgment.
Following the outburst, Justice Omotosho proceeded to deliver the judgment in Kanu’s absence.
The ruling on the remaining counts is expected to be concluded later, after which a date will be set for sentencing.
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