BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment on four of the seven terrorism-related charges he faced, opting for mercy over the death penalty.

Justice James Omotosho, who handed down the ruling, clarified that Counts 1, 4, 5, and 6 attracted life imprisonment instead of death, while Count 3 drew a 20-year jail term without an option of fine, and Count 7 a 5-year jail term without an option of fine.

“Life is sacred to God, so despite I am not persuaded, I must temper justice with mercy; the terms are to run concurrently,” Justice Omotosho stated.

The IPOB leader was convicted under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, with the court emphasizing that the gravity of the offenses initially warranted a death sentence. However, the judge chose to exercise judicial discretion in favor of life imprisonment.

Kanu’s sentence marks the culmination of a decade-long trial that has attracted national and international attention.