The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging his conviction and life imprisonment sentence imposed by the Federal High Court.
In a Notice of Appeal dated February 4, 2026, Kanu, through his legal team, asked the appellate court to overturn the judgment delivered in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, in which he was convicted on seven counts of terrorism-related offences.
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2025 after the trial court found him guilty of offences under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013. One of the counts included committing acts preparatory to, or in furtherance of, terrorism, contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the Act.
The conviction also stemmed from a broadcast allegedly made by Kanu on or about May 30, 2021, which was received in Nigeria, where he was accused of intimidating the public by threatening that anyone who disobeyed a sit-at-home order should “prepare a will.
In his appeal, Kanu argued that the trial court erred in law and procedure by sentencing him without granting him the right of allocutus the opportunity for a convicted person to address the court before sentencing.
He further contended that the court failed to consider relevant mitigating factors and other essential sentencing principles before imposing the maximum punishment.
Kanu urged the Court of Appeal to allow the appeal and quash his conviction on all counts. He also asked the court to set aside the life imprisonment sentence imposed by the trial judge.
Among the reliefs sought, Kanu prayed the appellate court to discharge and acquit him of all the charges or grant any other orders deemed appropriate in the interest of justice.
The appeal lists Nnamdi Kanu as the appellant, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria named as the respondent.
The legal move marks the latest effort by the detained IPOB leader to challenge the outcome of his trial and the severity of the sentence, as he remains in custody at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
