Nnamdi Kanu appeals against terrorism conviction, seeks acquittal from all charges

Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, challenging his conviction and life sentence imposed on him by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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The notice, which named the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the respondent, urged the appellate court to “quash, reverse and set aside” the punishment handed down by the trial court.

On 20 November 2025, trial judge James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, convicted and sentenced Mr Kanu on multiple counts to life imprisonment and other varying prison terms.

He is currently serving his sentence in a correctional centre in Sokoto State.

The appeal, filed on 4 February, sought to overturn his conviction and sentences imposed on him.

Grounds relied on

The notice contains 22 grounds of appeal, contending, among others, that his preliminary objections and pending bail application were ignored, and that he was convicted despite a prior Court of Appeal ruling declaring earlier proceedings a nullity.

He also argued that the trial judge “erred in law by failing to resolve the procedural and competence consequences” of the disrupted 2017 trial.

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In other grounds raised in the notice of appeal, the appellant accused the trial judge of misdirection for treating his absence from Nigeria as adverse. He also said he was convicted under a repealed law, retried on overlapping facts, and sentenced without consideration of mitigation or “allocutus,” among others.

Therefore, the IPOB leader asked the Court of Appeal to allow his appeal, quash his conviction on all counts, and set aside the sentences imposed by the Federal High Court. He further sought an order discharging and acquitting him in respect of all the charges.

Backstory

Mr Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 and charged with offences including treasonable felony and unlawful possession of arms. He was granted bail in 2017 but fled Nigeria after soldiers reportedly raided his home.

He was rearrested in Kenya in June 2021 and brought back to Nigeria to face trial on seven terrorism-related counts.

The case was restarted under Mr Omotosho in March 2025 after earlier judicial recusals. Between May and June 2025, the court set strict dates for the federal government to close its case. In September 2025, Mr Kanu filed a no-case submission, which was dismissed, and the court later ordered a medical panel to assess his fitness to stand trial.

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In October 2025, Mr Kanu sacked his legal team and said he would represent himself. He repeatedly declined to open his defence, asserting there was no valid charge against him. After failing to persuade Mr Kanu to open his defence and keeping the window for him to do so open for some time, the judge eventually deemed him to have waived his right to put forward his defence.

On 20 November 2025, the judge convicted Mr Kanu on all seven counts and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was convicted on terrorism charges, including acts of preparatory to terrorism and for making broadcasts intended to intimidate the population.

The judge also sentenced him to 20 years for leading and being a member of the proscribed IPOB, life imprisonment for inciting attacks on security personnel and their families, life imprisonment for directing the manufacture of bombs, and five years for importing a radio transmitter without a licence.

On 27 January, Mr Omotosho struck out a motion by Mr Kanu seeking his transfer from Sokoto to the Abuja facility.