The judiciary in Nigeria has ruled against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu for terror-related charges ten years following his first arrest.
The court declared that Kanu aired a series of broadcasts encouraging violence and fatal acts within his movement for a separate state in south-east Nigeria, known as Biafra.
Kanu has been found culpable on all seven counts he faced—encompassing terrorism, treasonous activities, and involvement with an outlawed secessionist group.
Rise of a Separatist Leader
Previously a little-known personality, Kanu's popularity surged in 2009 when he started Radio Biafra, a station that advocated an independent state for the Igbo people, broadcast to Nigeria from London.
Though he grew up in south-eastern Nigeria, where he studied at the University of Nsukka, Kanu moved to the UK prior to completing his studies and acquired British citizenship.
In 2014, he set up the Indigenous People Of Biafra (Ipob), a movement demanding self-rule.
Ban and Militant Actions
Ipob was banned as a terrorist organisation in 2017. The group's militant faction—the Eastern Security Network—has been accused of murders and other acts of aggression in recent years.
Issuing his ruling, Presiding Judge James Omotosho stated: "Mr Kanu knew what he was doing, he was determined to carrying out these threats without consideration to his own people."
"Based on the undeniable evidence, it is clear that the defendant carried out preparatory actions of terror."
"He had the obligation to explain himself but did not manage to do so."
Reaction and Legal Process
Kanu remains a popular leader in his movement's heartland in south-eastern Nigeria, but response to the verdict there has so far been muted.
In court ahead of the ruling, Kanu argued that the trial could not continue because he had not yet submitted his final written address, alleging the judge of bias and not understanding the law.
The judgement was announced after Kanu had been forcibly removed from the courtroom for disruptive behaviour.
Arrest History
He was first arrested in October 2015 but he violated bail conditions in 2017 and left the country after a military raid on his home. The court later cancelled his bail in March 2019 and he was detained again in 2021 in Kenya.
Past Background
The calls for Biafran independence trace back many years.
In 1967 Igbo leaders proclaimed a state of Biafra, but after a devastating civil war, which resulted in the loss of lives of up to a million people, the secessionist rebellion was quelled.
