Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo, who handled the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu on behalf of the Federal Government, has welcomed the decision sentencing the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra leader to life imprisonment.
Speaking to journalists at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday after Kanu was convicted on seven terrorism charges, Awomolo said the ruling sends a clear signal that no citizen is exempt from the nation’s legal system.
He stated, “So I congratulate Nigeria today for seeing the end of this, and let it be a warning: those who may think they are bigger than Nigeria. Nigeria is bigger than everyone of us.
“The law is bigger than everyone of us, and the law will take its course to deal with miscreants, to deal with terrorists, to deal with criminals. All of us are victims when we keep quiet; all of us are victims when we do not do what we ought to do,” he said.
Awomolo further praised the judiciary, noting that Thursday’s verdict had shielded the nation from the actions of the banned group.
He remarked, “Justice has been done, and Nigerians must, in one way or another, appreciate the judiciary,” adding, “Just last Monday, the President said that anytime Nigeria is in serious trouble, the judiciary has always come to the nation’s aid. Today, the judiciary has once again salvaged Nigeria from the claws and oppression of the proscribed IPOB.”
He repeated, “The law is bigger than every one of us, and the law will take its course to deal with miscreants, terrorists, and criminals.”
Justice James Omotosho delivered a life sentence after ruling that Kanu was guilty on all seven terrorism-related charges.
The court imposed life imprisonment on counts one, two, four, five, and six, a 20-year sentence on count three without the option of a fine, and a five-year term on count seven, also without a fine.
In explaining the decision, the judge said, “The death penalty is increasingly frowned upon by the international community. Consequently, and in the interest of justice, I hereby sentence the convict, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment on counts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 instead of the death penalty.
“With respect to count 3, he is hereby sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with no option of fine, and for count 7, he is sentenced to five years with no option of fine. To extend mercy, I order that the sentences shall run concurrently,” the judge said.
He added, “I have no hesitation in concluding that the tendency for violence has not left the convict. As such, he must be kept in a facility suitable for his custody, as placing him in Kuje Correctional Centre may not be appropriate.”
