Nigerian Court Convicts Separatist Leader Nnamdi Kanu on Terrorism Charges
ABUJA, Nigeria — A Nigerian court on Monday convicted Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on charges of terrorism, a verdict that intensifies tensions in the country’s volatile southeast.
Judge James Omotosho ruled that Kanu’s broadcasts and directives to his followers incited deadly attacks in the southeastern region. The separatist leader, who has been in government custody since being returned to Nigeria under disputed circumstances in 2021, declined to present a defense during the proceedings.
The trial was marked by legal challenges from Kanu’s defense team, who contested the court’s jurisdiction and challenged the validity of Nigeria’s terrorism laws. The judge, however, dismissed these objections, paving the way for the conviction.
Sentencing is expected to be announced at a later date. Kanu’s lawyers have indicated they will appeal the verdict, a process that will likely prolong the legal battle.
The conviction of the prominent separatist figure deepens the uncertainty in a region already struggling with mistrust, sporadic violence, and the unresolved legacy of the 1967-1970 Biafran War. The conflict, which saw a secessionist attempt by the Igbo-dominated southeast, resulted in more than a million lives lost, and its memory continues to fuel pro-Biafra sentiments that Kanu and IPOB have long championed.
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