Nigerian court convicts separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism-related charges

A Nigerian court on Nov. 20, 2025 convicted Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu for “terrorism” after a legal drama spanning several years. (AFP)
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Updated 20 November 2025
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Nigerian court convicts separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism-related charges

  • Kanu had called for the creation of an independent state out of southeastern Nigeria
  • He was re-arrested in 2021 and brought back from Kenya

ABUJA: A Nigerian court on Thursday convicted separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu of seven terrorism-related charges.
Kanu founded the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which has been accused of terrorism and extra-judicial killings in the country’s eastern region.
Kanu had called for the creation of an independent state out of southeastern Nigeria. He has sought to revive the short-lived Biafra, a seceded region of Nigeria between 1967 and 1970, which sparked the Nigerian Civil War during that period. At least 3 million people were killed before the Biafran troops surrendered.
Kanu was re-arrested in 2021 and brought back from Kenya after initially failing to appear in court in 2015.
“The right to self-determination is a political right. Any self-determination not done according to the constitution of Nigeria is illegal,” Judge James Omotosho said.