The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life in prison on four of the seven terrorism-related charges brought against him, choosing leniency over the death penalty.
Delivering the judgment, Justice James Omotosho ruled that Counts 1, 4, 5, and 6 carried life imprisonment instead of the death sentence.
He further imposed a 20-year prison term on Count 3 and a 5-year term on Count 7, both without the option of a fine.
“Life is sacred to God. Although I am not persuaded, I must temper justice with mercy. The terms are to run concurrently,” Justice Omotosho stated.
Kanu was convicted under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act. The court acknowledged that the severity of the offenses could have justified a death sentence but noted that judicial discretion allowed for a lesser punishment.
The ruling brings to a close a decade-long legal battle that has drawn widespread national and international attention.
