A Nigerian court has handed Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a life sentence for terrorism-related offenses, bringing his long-running trial to a dramatic close.

On Thursday, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Kanu on all seven counts, including incitement, illegal broadcasts, and advocating for bomb-making. ) The judge described the defendant as “cocky and arrogant,” but opted for life imprisonment over the death penalty, citing principles of mercy.  Concurrent sentences were imposed including 20 and 5 years while some counts run together with the life term.

Less than a day after the verdict, the Department of State Services (DSS) transferred Kanu from its Abuja detention facility to a maximum-security correctional centre in Sokoto State.  His legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, condemned the move, warning it distances Kanu from his lawyers, family, and supporters.

His family has voiced deep concern over the transfer, raising fears it was orchestrated to endanger his life.  They claim the relocation denies him access to his private physician and allege the move could be part of a plot to eliminate him.

During sentencing, the court also ordered Kanu to be held in protective custody at a facility other than Kuje prison, citing security risks due to his past behavior.  Access to electronic devices like phones and computers will be restricted unless monitored by national security authorities.  The court also mandated the confiscation of a seized radio transmitter linked to his Radio Biafra broadcasts.

The conviction marks the end of a decade-long legal saga. Kanu’s trial resumed after he was re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria in 2021.  In its ruling, the court held that his broadcasts and stay-at-home orders contributed to violence and destruction, including the loss of security personnel lives and burning of electoral offices.