The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has formally appealed his life imprisonment sentence and terrorism conviction, asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling handed down by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a notice of appeal filed on February 4, 2026, Kanu, who personally signed the document, challenged the November 20, 2025, judgment by Justice James Omotosho. The trial judge convicted him on all seven counts, which included acts preparatory to terrorism, making intimidating broadcasts, and leading the proscribed IPOB group. Kanu received multiple life sentences—reported as five in some accounts—along with additional terms of 20 years for IPOB leadership and five years for unlawfully importing a radio transmitter. All sentences were to run concurrently.
Kanu's appeal argues that the trial was marred by serious legal flaws and amounted to a miscarriage of justice. Among his key grounds, he claims the court wrongly applied the repealed Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, instead of the current 2022 law. He also alleges double jeopardy, pointing to earlier proceedings that the Court of Appeal had previously nullified, and criticizes the judge for failing to hear his allocutus before sentencing or properly considering mitigating factors.
Through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader described the appeal as a pivotal move to quash the conviction entirely, set aside the sentences, and secure a full acquittal and discharge on all charges. Kanu, who has been in custody since his 2021 re-arrest in Kenya and extradition to Nigeria, remains held in a correctional facility in Sokoto State.
The case, which has stretched over a decade and drawn intense scrutiny, continues to fuel debates over separatism, security, and judicial fairness in Nigeria's southeast. The Court of Appeal will now determine whether to uphold, modify, or reverse the Federal High Court's decision.
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