By Jude Atupulazi
The Federal High Court in Abuja, Thursday, sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment. This followed the upholding of all the seven charges against Kanu, bordering on terrorism and incitement.
The judgment comes four years after Kanu was arrested in Kenya under contentious circumstances and returned to Nigeria.
The court determined that Kanu used a series of broadcasts to encourage violence and killings in support of his separatist struggle for Biafra.
Trial Justice, James Omotosho, made his conclusion based on what he termed as “uncontroverted evidence” presented before the court by the prosecution.
Before passing the sentence, the court noted that the gravity of Kanu’s offences ordinarily warranted the death penalty. However, Justice Omotosho held that, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ on love and mercy, and given that death sentences are no longer fashionable globally, the court opted to show leniency by imposing a life sentence instead.
Kanu who caused a stir before the commencement of the judgement, was whisked off the courtroom on the orders of the judge after Kanu kept shouting him down and equally shouting at anybody that neared him, as he kept insisting that he was being tried under an unknown law.
Before then Kanu had sacked his lawyers and opted to be his own lawyer. But he later refused to make his final submissions, only to request for it on day of judgement which was refused.
