Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned what he describes as escalating injustice following the life sentence handed to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The sentencing, delivered on Thursday, November 20, 2025, by Justice James Omotosho, saw Kanu handed life imprisonment on several counts, while receiving 20 years on one count and five years on another, all to run concurrently.
The court cited evidence including video broadcasts in which Kanu allegedly urged followers to “ambush,” “kill,” and “burn down” government facilities and security personnel, while ruling that his sit-at-home orders in the Southeast constituted terrorism under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013.
Justice Omotosho noted that Kanu lacked constitutional authority to impose restrictions on movement, stating that only the President has such power under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Despite condemning Kanu’s actions, the court chose not to impose the death penalty, citing international objections to capital punishment and emphasising mercy as a tenet of justice.
Reacting to the ruling, Sowore took to social media to highlight what he described as the injustice surrounding the trial and sentence.
He said, “It is not even 24 hours yet, and the situation has already changed. Those who were jubilating and gloating over the monumental injustice done to the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday have suddenly fallen silent.”
He added, “The world has now awoken to the heinous crime committed against MNK, and the very foundations of that injustice are being exposed and discussed openly.”
Sowore further stated that, “Once again, Nigeria is confronted with the uncomfortable truth that in this ‘federation,’ some are treated as more equal than others. A handful of people in power believe they can ride roughshod over millions, weaponizing the compromised institutions of the Nigerian state to enforce their will.
He concluded with a warning: “But I warned before, and I warn again, this shall not stand! #FreeNnamdiKanuNOW.”
