Some former members of the defence team of Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu have criticised Thursday’s judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which convicted and sentenced him to life imprisonment on terrorism charges.
Speaking outside the courtroom, Aloy Ejimakor, who was among the lawyers Mr Kanu named as his legal consultants after sacking his defence team last month, expressed sadness over the judgement.
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He said it was “a very bad day for the judiciary and the criminal justice system”.
The lawyer, who addressed journalists along with other lawyers in his team, insisted that the prosecution failed to link any of Mr Kanu’s broadcasts to criminal activity in Nigeria.
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“I feel sad… It is a very bad day for the judiciary, a very bad day for the criminal justice system in Nigeria,” Mr Ejimakor said during an interview after the verdict.
But Mr Ejimakor was silent on the fact that Mr Kanu spurned several calls on him by the trial judge for him to open his defence to counter the case of the prosecution, which inundated the court with tons of recordings of Mr Kanu’s inciting broadcasts.
But Mr Ejoimakor argued that the utterances cited by the court as evidence amounted to “mere expressions” that did not constitute incitement.
“This is the first time in my entire life as a lawyer that I have seen a man convicted for giving mere expressions in court. Someone saying, ‘Don’t be silly,’ or ‘Go and die,’ cannot amount to an offence. In law, we call those things mere utterances,” he said.
Mr Ejimakor maintained that while the prosecution accused Mr Kanu of making dangerous broadcasts from an unidentified location, it failed to show any causal link between those broadcasts and acts of violence.
“These are harmless speeches… yet you cannot tie any of those broadcasts directly to any criminal activity in Nigeria — and he still stands convicted. That is very bad. It lends credence to the narrative that the Igbo man faces a different kind of justice in Nigeria,” he explained.
Responding to questions on whether the statements were inciting, he said: “A lot of people say these things every day… Are people supposed to be convicted for that?”
He added that the defence team would immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal, urging supporters to remain calm.
Hinting at appeal, he said, “As responsible citizens… let me use this opportunity to call for calm. We have another step in the judicial chain, which is the Court of Appeal, and we are heading there.”
Another member of the team, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, expressed optimism that the appeal would succeed.
“In the first place… the prosecution was not able to pinpoint any single person who carried out any of the acts Nnamdi Kanu is alleged to have incited,” he said.
“You said Nnamdi Kanu incited killings, yet you did not bring one single person to say, ‘Yes, I was the one he incited.’ So to me, I felt it was the court giving evidence.”
He said the mention of the 2021 killing of Ahmed Gulak by unknown gunmen in Imo State did not establish any link to Kanu.
Court sentences Mr Kanu to life imprisonment
Earlier on Thursday, the trial judge James Omotosho, sentenced Mr Kanu to life imprisonment after convicting him on terrorism charges.
The judge said he opted for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
He also sentenced Mr Kanu to 20 years in prison on count three, without an option of fine, and five years on count seven, also without an option of fine. The sentences will run concurrently.
Delivering judgement, Mr Omotosho said Kanu’s conduct throughout the trial demonstrated “unruliness” and a “persistent tendency for violence,” adding that the court was exercising mercy despite his lack of remorse.
“No doubt, the convict has not acted properly… He has caused delays, repeatedly… Moreover, his unruly behaviour from the beginning until today is evident,” he said.
The judge said the court was guided by the biblical doctrine of mercy, referencing Matthew 23:23, while noting global concerns about the death penalty.
“Life is sacred to God… Consequently, and in the interest of justice, I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment for counts 1, 4, 5 and 6, instead of the death sentence.”
Mr Omotosho said Mr Kanu’s statements in multiple broadcasts, including threats of violence and enforcement of sit‑at‑home orders in the South‑East, amounted to acts of terrorism.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Court sentences Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment for terrorism
“The defendant enforced the order of sit-at-home in the South East… saying there will be a complete shutdown of Biafraland… If you open your shop around 12 noon, we will burn you in that shop,” he explained.
He held that Mr Kanu’s directives were “unconstitutional, subversive, and notorious”, noting that the resulting shutdowns left communities “deserted, even the farmlands.”
The judge said Mr Kanu’s broadcasts — including claims that “the Army of Nigeria will die” and that “everything called Nigeria will perish in Biafra” — supported the prosecution’s case.
Mr Omotosho dismissed claims of denial of fair hearing, insisting that the conviction was based on evidence, including video recordings.
“A person who is found guilty of the offence will get a maximum of a death sentence,” he said, noting that the court chose life imprisonment out of mercy rather than compulsion.
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