Court Finds Nnamdi Kanu Guilty On Counts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six And Seven

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has found the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, guilty on Counts One, Two, and Three of the terrorism charges filed against him by the Federal Government.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho, represents a major development in a case that has spanned several years and drawn intense national and international interest.

According to Naija News, the court upheld the prosecution’s evidence alleging that Kanu used his broadcasts to threaten violence against the Nigerian state. Justice Omotosho summarised the first count as “committing an act of terrorism… by making a broadcast threatening that people would die and the world would be at a standstill.”

The judge held that the unchallenged evidence demonstrated that Kanu’s directives amounted to actions capable of terrorising the public.

“Kanu knew what he was doing; he was bent on carrying out these threats without consideration to his own people,” Justice Omotosho said, stressing that the defendant failed to offer an explanation to counter the allegations.

At exactly 1:02 pm, the judge noted that documentary evidence tendered in court showed that Kanu ordered the controversial sit-at-home directive in the South-East — a policy that resulted in significant economic disruption and widespread fear in the region. This, he said, supported the prosecution’s claim of preparatory acts of terrorism.

Breakdown of the Counts

• Count 2: The court found that Kanu issued a threat that anyone who violated the sit-at-home order should be killed.

• Count 3: Kanu was found guilty of professing himself a member and leader of the proscribed IPOB.

Justice Omotosho also reviewed the additional counts:

• Count 4: The prosecution proved that Kanu, in a 2021 broadcast, incited listeners to attack and kill security personnel.
  The judge said the statements were “deliberate, inflammatory, and intended to provoke widespread attacks.”

• Count 5: Kanu was found to have made another broadcast directing attacks not only on security agencies but also on the families of personnel.
  The court described this as an act of terrorism under Nigerian law.

• Count 6: Kanu was found guilty of directing IPOB members to manufacture firearms.

• Count 7: The court ruled that he imported and possessed Radio Biafra transmission equipment, which formed part of the prosecution’s evidence on unlawful operations.

Overall, Justice Omotosho concluded that the prosecution had “sufficiently established” the essential elements of the charges, leading to the convictions.