‘We Are Heading To Appeal,’ Kanu’s Lawyer To Challenge Judgment
Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has vowed to challenge the life sentence handed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking shortly after Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six, instead of a death sentence, Ejimakor the Court of Appeal is the only court in the country that sits as a jury.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the IPOB leader was also sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on Count Three, and five years imprisonment on Count Seven, with no option of fine.
The judge said the sentence shall run concurrently.
“We are heading to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal is the only court in this country that sits as a jury. We will ask the justices to check what happened today,” the lawyer said after the sentence.
Ejimakor described the judgment as “a symbol of the travesty of justice that everybody has suspected,” and argued that the conviction lacked a legal basis.
“If the Court of Appeal disagrees with us, we head to the Supreme Court. By God Almighty, Nnamdi Kanu will not stand convicted. Today is the only day I have seen a man convicted for what he said, not what he did.
“The sentence is overboard, cruel and unusual. How can you convict a man for making a broadcast from an unnamed location? He never tied that broadcast to any violence, not even someone slapping someone,” he said.
Ejimakor maintained that the decision “cannot be grounded in logic” and vowed to resist it.
“Nobody is going to trample on me. Nobody is going to trample on Nnamdi Kanu. Nnamdi Kanu is not a terrorist. He pursued change. Seeking a separate nation is not a crime.
“In Nigeria today, if someone says, ‘Don’t be silly,’ you get convicted. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu made a broadcast. So what? You convict him for terrorism over words? What precedent is this?” he stated.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
