A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on five counts of terrorism.
Justice James Omotosho, delivering his ongoing judgment in Kanu’s terrorism trial, ruled that the IPOB leader’s broadcasts threatening violence and calling for sit-at-home orders in South-Eastern states of Nigeria amounted to acts of terrorism.
Kanu was found guilty on counts one, two, three, four, and five of the seven-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The court specifically noted that between 2018 and 2021, Kanu’s repeated declarations of allegiance to IPOB, a banned organization in Nigeria, constituted criminal acts under the nation’s anti-terrorism laws.
The judge has now moved to consider counts six and seven in the ongoing trial.
The DSS had accused Kanu of inciting violence, promoting the activities of a proscribed group, and using media platforms to orchestrate actions that threatened national security.
More details are expected as the court continues its proceedings.
