A Nigerian court has delivered a guilty verdict for Nnamdi Kanu, the prominent leader of the Biafran separatist movement, on charges related to terrorism. The ruling marks a significant development in the long-running legal and political saga surrounding the activist, who also holds British citizenship.
The Court's Ruling and Kanu's Conduct
Judge James Omotosho presided over the case, stating that prosecutors had successfully demonstrated how Kanu used his organisation, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to incite violent attacks against both security personnel and civilians in south-eastern Nigeria. "His intention was quite clear as he believed in violence. These threats of violence were nothing but terrorist acts," Judge Omotosho declared from the bench.
The trial was notably tumultuous, with the 58-year-old Kanu dismissing his legal team and opting to represent himself. His behaviour in court was deemed "unruly" by the authorities, leading to his ejection from the proceedings. Before being removed, Kanu directly challenged the judge, demanding, "Which law states that you can charge me on an unwritten law? Show me. Omotosho, where is the law? Any judgment declared in this court is a complete rubbish."
A Long History of Arrest and Agitation
Nnamdi Kanu's legal troubles are not new. He was first taken into state custody in October 2015, facing a series of charges that included treasonable felony. After being granted bail eighteen months later, he vanished from public view until his controversial extradition from Kenya in 2021—an event his supporters have labelled an extraordinary rendition.
The context for this conflict stretches back to the Nigerian Civil War. When the 18-month war concluded in 1970, the short-lived Republic of Biafra, which was formed from the old eastern region, was reintegrated into Nigeria. Since then, various secessionist movements have emerged, protesting against what they perceive as political and economic marginalisation of the region.
The Consequences of Separatist Activism
IPOB, widely considered the most significant of these movements, long relied on Kanu's fiery oratory broadcast from Peckham-based Radio Biafra to rally support. During his imprisonment, a splinter group known as the Biafran Government in Exile (BGIE) formed. Its self-declared prime minister, Simon Ekpa, was himself sentenced to six years on terrorism charges by a Finnish court in September.
Both groups have been accused of orchestrating a campaign of terror in south-east Nigeria. Militants frequently enforce "sit-at-home days" every Monday, using violence to ban business, schooling, and other activities. According to the consultancy SBM Intelligence, separatist militants have been linked to as many as 700 deaths since 2021. A particularly deadly ambush in Abia state in May 2024 resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and six others. The conflict has been marred by allegations of human rights abuses committed by military personnel as well.
The Nigerian government proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organisation in 2017, the same year Kanu was arrested. In a bid to influence international opinion, Kanu has since hired US lobby firms, including one owned by former congressman Jim Moran. These efforts have been tied by some Nigerian reports to the recent designation of Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" by Donald Trump, who has threatened action based on unproven claims of a 'Christian genocide'. Ahead of the final verdict, it emerged that Kanu had written directly to Trump, alleging a "Judeo-Christian genocide" is underway in south-east Nigeria.
