Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyers announce appeal after life sentence

Aloy Ejimakor, legal consultant to Nnamdi Kanu, has vowed that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will appeal the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Ejimakor spoke to journalists shortly after Justice James Omotosho delivered the ruling on Thursday, sentencing Kanu to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six, while imposing 20 years for count three and five years for count seven.

All sentences are to run concurrently without an option of fine.

Challenging the judgment, Ejimakor said the defence team would immediately head to the Court of Appeal.

“What kind of precedent is being laid here? We are heading to the court of appeal,” he said.

He argued that the ruling was inconsistent with the evidence, insisting that the conviction amounted to a “travesty of justice.”

Ejimakor maintained that Kanu would not remain convicted once the appellate courts review the matter.

“This is the only day I have witnessed a man being convicted for mere pronouncements, just for what he said from his mouth, not what he did with his own hands,” he said.

He questioned how the court could link Kanu to terrorism based on broadcasts “from a location that was never named” and not tied to any specific incident of violence.

According to him, the sentence was “overbroad, cruel and unusual,” stressing that the defence would pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court if needed.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), praised the judgment, saying the ruling affirms that no individual is above the law.

Awomolo said the sentence showed that Nigeria had been “saved from the claws” of the proscribed group, stressing that the judiciary has once again played a crucial role in protecting the country.

“So, I congratulate Nigeria today for seeing the end of this, and let it be a warning: those who may think they are bigger than Nigeria, Nigeria is bigger than every one of us,” he said.

He added that Nigerians must appreciate the judiciary, noting President Bola Tinubu’s recent remarks that the courts have often rescued the country during moments of crisis.

Justice Omotosho earlier found Kanu guilty on all seven terrorism charges filed by the Federal Government, ruling that the prosecution established its case beyond reasonable doubt.

He said Kanu provided no credible defence and “deliberately refused” to challenge the evidence.

The judge described Kanu as “a person who cannot be allowed to remain in the company of sane minds,” adding that his actions, carried out in the name of agitation, resulted in the “bloodshed of innocent citizens.”

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