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Terrorism: court convicts Nnamdi Kanu
Amid worsening terrorism activities in Nigeria, a federal high court sitting in Abuja, this afternoon convicted the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on all seven charges of terrorism.
Justice James Omotosho, the presiding judge, held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges of terrorism preferred against Kanu, an Igbo who also holds a British citizenship, and had been campaigning for a separate country, Biafra, from Nigeria.
Kanu, who was renditioned from Kenya in June 2021, where he escaped to, following an assault by Nigerian forces on his Nigerian home, about a fortnight ago, relieved his lawyers of their brief and opted to defend himself. Later, a Kenyan court ruled the rendition illegal, but that had no binding force on Nigeria.
Kanu refused to put up a defence after dumping his defence counsel, insisting that there was no lawful charge against him before the court.
Omotosho, TheCable reports, talked down on Kanu as a personality who should not be found among decent minds.
He said that the convict had during the trial “deliberately refused” to offer any credible defence to have exculpated himself from the charges levelled against him.
Omotosho explained that he was satisfied that Kanu had embarked on broadcasting series of incendiary information to incite violence and killings, in pursuit of his agitation for Biafra.
The development might be interpreted by Kanu’s followers and sympathisers as being biased, coming at a time when there are reports, some from retired security operatives, that elements in government were part of those sponsoring terrorism in the country, but are still walking free.
Besides, they might argue that while Kanu has been convicted, the federal government was busy absolving known terrorists with blood on their hands, rehabilitating, and reintegrating them.
