By Kamsi Anayo, and Joy Yesufu
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, guilty on count 1 of the terrorism charges against him.
Justice Omotosho ruled that Kanu is guilty of committing an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria when he threatened that people will die and the world will be at a standstill during a live broadcast.
According to the judge the prosecutors proved that Kanu’s broadcasts and orders proscribed IPOBl, incited deadly attacks on security forces and citizens in South East Nigeria in the quest for an independent Biafra state.
The Judge said, “Mr Kanu knew what he was doing , he was bent on carrying out these threats without consideration to his own people.
“From the incontroverted evidence it is clear that the defendant carried out preparatory act of terrorism.
“He had the duty to explain himself but failed to do so.”
Earlier, the judge had ordered security agents to bundle the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, out of the courtroom.
Kanu had insisted that judgement would not be delivered in the terrorism charge the Federal Government entered against him.
Following Kanu’s repeated shouts that the trial judge must show him where it was written in the law that he was not entitled to file a written address in the case against him, the court temporarily halted its proceedings to enable security operatives to take him out of the room.
Omotosho stood down the matter after he delivered a ruling that dismissed fresh motions the IPOB leader filed after the case was slated for judgement.
According to the court, the motions contained issues that were previously raised by the defendant.
It dismissed Kanu’s request for the case to be referred to the Court of Appeal, stressing that section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, forbade the stay of proceedings in a criminal matter.
The court equally refused the defendant’s request for bail, saying it would, in the course of the judgement, consider some of the issues Kanu raised in his motions.
As the judge attempted to commence the reading of the judgement, Kanu stood his ground, shouting that the court had no jurisdiction to decide the case without admitting his written address.
