Nigerian court docket sentences separatist chief Nnamdi Kanu to life in jail

[ad_1] ABUJA, NIGERIA (AP) — A court docket in Nigeria on Thursday convicted separatist chief Nnamdi Kanu of all seven terrorism-related charges introduced towards him and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Kanu based the Indigenous Individuals of Biafra (IPOB), which has been accused of terrorism and extra-judicial killings within the nation’s southeastern area the place it has referred to as for the creation of an unbiased state.

The costs towards Kanu, who has rejected the court docket’s authority, included finishing up acts of terrorism, issuing and violently imposing stay-at-home orders that carry the southeastern area to a halt each Monday, giving steering on how you can make bombs for use on authorities services, and incitement.

Decide James Omotosho advised the court docket that the “proper to self-determination is a political proper,” however he added that: “Any self-determination not executed in line with the structure of Nigeria is against the law.”

Prosecutors had sought the demise penalty towards Kanu, however Omotosho mentioned he selected to indicate mercy.

“I have to mood justice with mercy. The court docket will comply with the admonition of Jesus Christ within the above passage and present mercy to the convict. As well as, the demise penalty globally is being frowned upon by the worldwide group,” the choose dominated

Kanu had sought to revive the short-lived Biafra, a seceded area of Nigeria between 1967 and 1970, which sparked the Nigerian Civil Struggle throughout that interval. No less than 3 million individuals have been killed earlier than the Biafran troops surrendered.

Kanu was arrested in 2021 and introduced again from Kenya after initially failing to seem in court docket in 2015.

Final month, Kanu dismissed his whole authorized workforce and returned to an earlier objection to the court docket proceedings. He refused to defend himself towards the fees.

“The court docket lacks jurisdiction to strive me. My cost sheet doesn't include any written legislation in Nigeria,” Kanu advised the court docket earlier than his conviction.

A Lagos-based geopolitical consultancy, SBM Intelligence, earlier this yr reported that the violent enforcement of the stay-at-home orders had resulted in at the very least 700 deaths and price the nation 7.6 trillion naira ($5.3 billion).

One other Nigerian separatist chief, Simon Ekpa , was convicted in Finland in September for prices together with terrorism. Ekpa, who was additionally a Finnish citizen, was sentenced to 6 years in jail for taking part within the actions of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit a criminal offense for terrorist functions and aggravated tax fraud.

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Adetayo reported from Dakar, Senegal

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AP’s Africa protection at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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