Lawyer Challenges Legal Basis of Nnamdi Kanu’s Conviction and Life Sentence

A lawyer has questioned the legal basis of the court proceedings that led to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction and life imprisonment. He argues that Kanu’s 2022 discharge by the Court of Appeal, the Federal Government’s subsequent appeal and the repeal of the earlier terrorism law created unresolved legal issues. The Court of Appeal had quashed the charges in October 2022, citing the circumstances of Kanu’s rendition from Kenya. The Federal Government later secured a stay of execution and appealed to the Supreme Court. The lawyer contends that a stay should not have allowed the quashed charges to continue as though they remained valid. He also argues that the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 preserved pending proceedings but did not keep repealed criminal provisions in force. He says this raises constitutional questions about whether the offences and penalties relied on at conviction were defined in an applicable written law. Kanu was convicted on seven counts in November 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment on several terrorism-related counts. He has appealed, asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the judgment and discharge him.

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