Overview
- Kanu was found guilty on seven counts, with the court citing terrorist acts, illegal stay-at-home orders, incitement, teaching bomb-making, and membership of the proscribed IPOB.
- Prosecutors sought the death penalty, but Justice James Omotosho imposed a life sentence, saying he would temper justice with mercy and noting global opposition to capital punishment.
- The court ejected Kanu after an outburst; he had dismissed his lawyers, refused to call witnesses, and presented no defence, leading the judge to rely on uncontroverted prosecution evidence.
- The government also asked the court to forfeit seized broadcast equipment and to bar Kanu from using digital devices or the internet, and it raised custody and security considerations.
- Kanu has 90 days to appeal, as the verdict intensifies regional tensions linked to IPOB activities that analysts attribute to at least 700 deaths and major economic losses, with the case also shadowed by disputes over his 2021 return from Kenya and Radio Biafra broadcasts used as evidence.