Nnamdi Kanu Says He Will Appeal Life Imprisonment Sentence

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has announced via his legal team that he will challenge the life sentence handed down to him by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice James Omotosho convicted Kanu on seven counts of terrorism on November 20, 2025. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on five of those counts (1, 2, 4, 5, and 6), 20 years on count three, and 5 years on count seven.

Despite prosecutors having sought the death penalty, the judge opted for life in prison, citing international objections to capital punishment and urging a measure of mercy.

Shortly after the ruling, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, told reporters: “We are heading to appeal … we will ask the justices [at the Court of Appeal] to check what happened today.”  He added that if the appeal is unsuccessful at that level, they are prepared to take the case to the Supreme Court.

Ejimakor strongly criticized the conviction, calling it a “travesty of justice.” He argued that Kanu’s conviction was based not on criminal acts but on speech, saying: “Today is the only day I have seen a man convicted for what he said, not what he did.”

On his part, Kanu has long rejected the court’s jurisdiction in his trial. He previously argued that the court has no authority over him, saying his “charge sheet does not contain any written law in Nigeria.”

Kanu’s appeal could spotlight broader questions about legal procedure in his case — including his extradition from Kenya, his decision to dismiss his legal team and represent himself, and the constitutionality of how the terrorism charges were brought.