Nigeria’s Federal Government has urged a court in Abuja to hand down the death penalty to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), after he was convicted on seven terrorism-related charges.
The request was made on Thursday by senior government lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo, moments after Justice James Omotosho delivered the guilty verdict. The charges against Kanu include allegations of incitement, support for violent attacks, and directing actions attributed to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network.
Prosecutors argued that Kanu’s broadcasts encouraged violence that resulted in the deaths of security officers and damage to public infrastructure. They said these actions undermined national stability and warranted the harshest punishment available under Nigeria’s counterterrorism laws.
Awomolo told the court that several of the offences carry a mandatory death sentence, while others attract long prison terms. He said Kanu had shown “no remorse” throughout the trial and accused him of maintaining a “defiant and arrogant posture.”
The government also asked the court to permanently seize the broadcast equipment recovered from Kanu and to prohibit him from using any internet-enabled device while serving his sentence. The prosecution further advised against detaining him in Kuje prison, citing previous security breaches there.
Before the court paused proceedings ahead of sentencing later in the day, Obinna Aguocha, a federal lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South, pleaded for leniency, urging the court to consider a less severe penalty.
Kanu’s conviction marks a turning point in a legal and political dispute that has spanned more than 10 years. His organisation, IPOB, seeks a separate state of Biafra an issue that has long divided opinion in Nigeria. While his supporters describe him as a freedom fighter, the government argues that the group’s rhetoric and activities have fuelled violence across parts of the south-east.
The court is expected to announce Kanu’s sentence later today.