Court Sentences Nnamdi Kanu To Life Imprisonment, Says IPOB Leader An ‘International Terrorist’ •

‘International Terrorist’

Omotosho convicted Nnamdi Kanu on offences relating to belonging to a proscribed terror group and inciting his followers to violence.

In the judgment, the judge found him guilty of charges levelled against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution led credible evidence to establish that Kanu belonged to IPOB which had been proscribed and its affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The judge also held that the prosecution proved that, by his many broadcasts, he incited his followers to violence, which resulted in the killing of security personnel and the destruction of property, including Police stations across the country.

He classified Kanu as an international terrorist due to his intention to bomb the British High Commission and to kill the then British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing.

Justice Omotosho, while convicting him on Count Six, also held that Kanu extended his terrorism act to the United States of America when he ordered that the American embassy be brought down, in a broadcast.

“Thus, from the above, it can be said that the defendants incited people to invade the British High Commission, and his threat against British High Commissioner Catriona Laing, and the American embassy is an act of international terrorism.

“This is the purpose of Section 3 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, which provides: ‘Any person who intentionally (a) murders, kidnaps, commits other attacks on persons or liberty of an international protected persons, (b) carries out violent attack on official premises, private accommodation, or means of transport of an international protected person in a manner likely to endanger his person or liberty, (c) threaten to threatening to commit any such attack, commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to life imprisonment,” he said.

“The High Commissioner is an international protected person, being the representative of the British government in Nigeria, as well as other staff of High Commission and Embassy of the United States of America. Leaving the defendant to continue his terrorist activity would have led to an international incident involving Nigeria and other foreign nations, who are good partners with Nigeria.

“The question to ask again is whether bombing or attacking embassies of high commissions constitutes an action consistent with agitation for self-determination. Again, the answer is no.

“All these acts go to show that the criminal tendency of the defendant, as well as show concrete proof of his terrorist acts. Therefore, I owe without hesitation that the prosecution has successfully established Count Six against the defendants. Consequently, he is hereby convicted of Count Six of the charge,” he declared.