[UPDATED] Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja moments ago finds Nnamdi Kanu guilty of terrorism on all seven counts filed by the federal government in an amended charge instituted in 2021.
The federal government had filed a seven-count amended charge, including terrorism and treasonable felony, against Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in a case that had lingered since 2015 when it was first instituted.
ENigeria News reports that during the judgment read by the trial judge on Thursday morning, it was held that Nnamdi Kanu’s comments, such as “people will die,” which are said to be done with malice and capable of destabilizing and causing an attack on a person’s life, which may cause bodily harm, etc., can be classified as acts of terrorism; hence, he was found guilty on counts 1 (terrorism), 2 (threats enforcing illegal sit-at-home order), and 3 (acts of terrorism by making broadcasts threatening that anyone who flouts his sit-at-home order will die), among others.
The trial, which was broadcast live on national television, showed the defendant while being led out of the court, turning around, looking at the lead prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, and echoing, “God will punish you now and forever; let it be on record, any judgment ruled in this court is rubbish! Ask him, where is the law? Ask Omotosho, where is the law! where is the law?? ”
This newspaper notes that among the verdicts read by Justice Omotosho is that the court gave Nnamdi Kanu every opportunity to defend himself, but he declined. On the issue of Nnamdi Kanu’s alleged illegal rendition back to Nigeria from Kenya, the court’s position is that extradition works among countries that are parties to the treaty.
You would recall that earlier on Thursday morning, proceedings at the Federal High Court took an unexpected turn when the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, ordered the removal of Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial on alleged terrorism, from the courtroom over what he described as “unruly behavior.”
The incident followed a tense exchange in which Kanu repeatedly challenged the court’s decision to proceed without allowing him to present a final written address. A viral video seen by ENigeria News and circulating online earlier showed the IPOB leader insisting that he had not waived his constitutional right to make the address.
“A final written address is my constitutional right, and my lord, I have not waived that right,” Kanu insisted. “I must be allowed to address the court on all the issues.”
The confrontation escalated as Kanu continued to interrupt the court, prompting multiple attempts by Justice Omotosho to caution him before he was finally removed from the court by men of the Department of State Security (DSS).
Justice Omotosho, who rose and announced that the court would reconvene, however, noted that the court would proceed to deliver judgment in the absence of the defendant, adding that “nobody is above the law and fundamental rights are not absolute.”
