The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and multiple sentences handed down by the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that the trial was fundamentally flawed and amounted to a miscarriage of justice.
In the notice of appeal dated February 4, 2026, Kanu stated that he is contesting his conviction on seven counts, including terrorism-related offences, for which he was sentenced to five life terms alongside additional prison sentences. The convictions were delivered on November 20, 2025.
According to the appeal document, Kanu formally notified the court of his intention to challenge both his conviction and sentences, insisting that serious legal and procedural errors undermined the trial.
Kanu was found guilty of offences including committing acts in furtherance of terrorism, making broadcasts intended to intimidate the public, and leading the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra organisation.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sentenced Kanu to five life terms for terrorism-related offences, 20 years’ imprisonment for leading IPOB, and five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for importing a radio transmitter without a licence.
In his grounds of appeal, Kanu faulted the trial court for failing to address what he described as a fundamental disruption of the original trial process following the 2017 military operation at his Afara-Ukwu residence. He argued that the court proceeded with the trial without resolving the legal consequences of that disruption.
He further claimed that the court delivered judgment while his preliminary objection challenging the competence of the trial remained unresolved, as well as while his bail application was still pending, which he said compromised the fairness of the proceedings.
Kanu also argued that he was convicted under a law that had already been repealed, stating that the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, under which he was sentenced, had been replaced by the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 before judgment was delivered.
Additionally, he alleged that his retrial amounted to double jeopardy, contrary to Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution, and that he was denied a fair hearing because he was not allowed to file or present a final written address before judgment.
Among the reliefs sought, Kanu asked the Court of Appeal to set aside his conviction and sentences and to discharge and acquit him on all counts. He also informed the court of his intention to be present at the appeal hearing, stating that he may choose to conduct the appeal himself.
Kanu is currently being held at a correctional facility in Sokoto State, following the rejection of his request to be transferred to a facility in either Niger or Nasarawa State.
