Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu jailed for life over terrorism charges
Why separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has been jailed for life in Nigeria
- Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted on all seven terrorism-related charges.
- The verdict, delivered on Thursday, concludes a decade-long trial that has heightened tensions across southeast Nigeria.
- Judge James Omotosho stated that Kanu's broadcasts and directives to his proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group instigated fatal assaults on security forces and civilians.
- Kanu's campaign sought an independent Biafra state for the ethnic Igbo-dominated region, which previously attempted secession in 1967, sparking a three-year civil war.
- The judge declined the prosecution's request for a death penalty, citing international disapproval, and Kanu, who has been in custody since 2021, has 90 days to appeal.