Nigeria: Court Sentences Nnamdi Kanu To Life Imprisonment, Says IPOB Leader An ‘International Terrorist’

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
On November twentieth, twenty twenty five, a Nigerian court sentence
separatist leader Nomdi can You to life imprisonment after finding
him guilty of seven terrorism related charges. The presiding judge,
James Amitasho, described ken You as an international terrorist. Justice
James Amitasho said a sentence can you to life imprisonment

(00:26):
on counts one, four, five and six instead of a
death sentence. He also sentenced the ipop leader to twenty
years imprisonment on count three and five years imprisonment on
count seven with no option of fine. He said the
sentence shall run concurrently. Delivering judgment, he said, I hear

(00:49):
by sentence the convict to life imprisonment for counts one, four,
five and six instead of death sentence. With respect to
count three, he is her by sentenced to twenty years
imprisonment without no option of fine. For count seven, he
is sentenced to five years imprisonment without no option of fine.

(01:12):
To extend the mercy, I hereby order that the sentence
shall run concurrently. The judge stated that Kenyu must be
kept in a facility that will be suitable for his
custody and should not be allowed close to any digital
device or must be monitored by the Office of the
National Security Adviser. He also said that the ipop leader's

(01:33):
transmitter would be given to the federal government. The court
had earlier found can you guilty of terrorism against the
Federal government? Justice James Amitasho, while delivering judgment, said the
prosecution proved its case in the seven counts against Kenyu
beyond a reasonable doubt. On count one, he said that

(01:54):
the defendant failed to respond to the broadcast accusation and
deliberately refused to enter his defense on it. Amitasho stated
that evidence shown by the prosecution revealed that the defendant
ordered the citat home order in the Southeast Region. He said,
can you committed an act of terrorism against Nigeria by
making it broadcast threatening that people would die in the

(02:16):
world would be at a standstill? The judge said the
defendant knew what he was doing and was bent on
carrying out the threats without consideration for the lives of
his own people. From the uncontroverted evidence of the prosecution,
it is clear that the defendant carried out a preparatory
act of terrorism. He had the duty to explain himself

(02:38):
but failed to do so, Amitasho said. Justice Omitasho also
convicted him on counts two, three, and four. He held
that the threats of violence and killings, including the declaration
of citat home in the Southeast States in his many broadcasts,
constituted acts of terrorism. While delivering the judge made Justice

(03:00):
Amitasho read transcripts quoting Canu's comments. Canyu was not in
the court room when the verdict was delivered, as he
had been removed earlier for unruly behavior. Canyu, who holds
dual Nigerian British citizenship, has a ninety day window to
file an appeal against the judgment. Canyu is the founder

(03:23):
of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, a movement that
seeks an independent state for the Igbo ethnic group in
southeastern Nigeria. The group has been banned as a terrorist
organization by the Nigerian government. The judge determined that canus
broadcasts and orders incited violence and deadly attacks on security

(03:43):
forces and civilians in the region. Canyu has consistently denied
the charges and maintained that his abduction and extradition from
Kenya in twenty twenty one were illegal, thus challenging the
court's jurisdiction