Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has formally filed a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, challenging his terrorism conviction and life sentences handed down by the Federal High Court on November 20, 2025.
The appeal, submitted on February 4, 2026, seeks to overturn his conviction on seven terrorism-related counts, including allegations linked to broadcasts, incitement, bomb-making directives, and unlawful importation of a radio transmitter. The trial court had imposed multiple life sentences, all to run concurrently.
Defence Describes Appeal as “Compressed but Far-Reaching”
According to Kanu’s defence team, the Notice of Appeal contains 22 grounds distilled from an extensive legal review that initially identified more than 1,000 alleged procedural and legal defects. These were narrowed to 101 core infractions before being streamlined to 22 issues to comply with appellate rules.
The defence said the goal is to present a focused argument demonstrating what it described as cumulative systemic failures during the trial process.
Key Issues Raised in the Appeal
Among the major concerns highlighted are:
Alleged Forced Disruption and “Flight” Narrative:
The defence argues that the trial court failed to consider the legal implications of the 2017 military operation at Kanu’s residence, known as Operation Python Dance II. They claim his absence from Nigeria afterward was a forced response to state violence, not voluntary flight, as portrayed during trial proceedings.
Claims of Fair Hearing Violations:
Several grounds of appeal allege breaches of constitutional fair hearing provisions, including failure to rule on a preliminary objection, leaving a bail application unresolved, and delivering judgment without permitting the defence to submit a final written address.
Questions Over Evidence:
The appeal contends that no victims testified to harm or intimidation, no witness confirmed being influenced by alleged broadcasts, and no physical evidence of bomb-making was presented. The defence argues that the conviction did not meet the legal threshold of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Reliance on Unproven Facts:
Lawyers for Kanu also claim the trial court relied on facts not contained in the charge sheet, including alleged attacks on foreign diplomatic missions, which they say were neither pleaded nor proven.
Statutory and Sentencing Concerns:
The appeal further challenges the application of a terrorism statute allegedly repealed before judgment and disputes the legality of sentencing on the radio transmitter charge, which the defence claims is statute-barred and exceeded the maximum lawful penalty.
Next Steps
The Court of Appeal is expected to review the Record of Appeal before setting a hearing date. The case is likely to draw significant national attention, particularly on issues of due process, evidentiary standards, and the handling of terrorism-related prosecutions in Nigeria.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the prosecution or relevant government authorities regarding the appeal.