11/21/2025
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja over terrorism-related charges. The ruling, delivered on November 20, 2025, found him guilty on seven counts, including incitement, unlawful broadcasts, and directives deemed threatening to national security.
The court imposed life sentences on four counts, with additional 20- and 5-year terms running concurrently. Justice James Omotosho cited international and humanitarian concerns in opting against the death penalty, while ordering Kanu to remain in protective custody and be denied access to digital devices.
Kanu’s legal team had challenged the charges as unconstitutional and politically motivated, and raised concerns over his extradition from Kenya. The court dismissed these arguments, ruling that the trial was lawful.
Government prosecutors welcomed the judgment as a reinforcement of national security and the rule of law.
However, the ruling has sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians now questioning the fairness of the judicial process and whether the principles of due process were fully upheld.
