Il Nuovo Postiglione - Nigerian court jails Biafran separatist leader Kanu for life for 'terrorism'

Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, has long advocated for the independence of southeastern Nigeria, alleging the mistreatment of the Igbo ethnic group.

"The death penalty is now being frowned upon by the international community. Consequently in the interests of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to to life imprisonment... instead of (the) death sentence. Life is sacred," Judge James Omotosho ruled.

Calls for Biafran independence date back many years.

Civil war raged in Nigeria from 1967 until 1970 between the government and the so-called Republic of Biafra, which had declared independence. The conflict claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Nigerian soldiers and led to between 500,000 to two million starvation deaths among Biafrans, according to various estimates.

Omotosho convicted Kanu, a 58-year-old former London estae agent, on all seven counts he faced relating to offences committed between 2018 and 2021.

"His intention was quite clear as he believed in violence. These threats of violence were nothing but terrorist acts," Omotosho said.

The judge sentenced Kanu to life for five counts and 20 years and five years each for the other two.

Kanu has 90 days to appeal.

The verdict and sentence were handed in Kanu's absence as the judge ordered him to be thrown out of court after an outburst during which he accused the judge of ignorance of the law.

Kanu refused to call witnesses and dismissed his lawyers to act as his own counsel and claimed there were no charges against him.

Kanu, a dual Nigerian-British citizen, also said the court did not have the jurisdiction to try him.

The judge said the court had no choice but to "rely on the uncontroverted evidence of the prosecution".

- 'Very cocky, arrogant' -

He described Kanu's behaviour during the final days of the trial as "very cocky, arrogant" and that his boasting that "no court can convict him...is a direct affront on the power of the courts".

Prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo had earlier asked the court to consider the maximum sentence for the charges Kanu faced: death.

"He has demonstrated no respect for the administration of justice, his conduct, even within the court, has been marked by arrogance. The punishment prescribed for the offenses in counts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 is death penalty.. this court has the power to do so and with respect must do so," said Awomolo.

Kanu had long advocated independence via the London-based Radio Biafra. He drew the attention of the Nigerian government in 2015 when he said "we need guns and we need bullets".

IPOB rejected the notion that it was a literal call for arms. Following mass pro-Biafran protests that same year -- the first since the civil war -- Kanu was arrested while visiting Nigeria.

He skipped bail in 2017 and fled the country after a military raid on his home. He was extradited from Kenya in 2021, in what his lawyers said was an illegal abduction.

IPOB has been accused of violently enforcing regular "sit-at-home" orders that shut down markets, travel and schools across the southeast as a form of economic protest after Kanu's re-arrest in 2021.

IPOB has denied enforcing the protests violently, blaming criminals for doing so.

O.Nardolillo--INP