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Life jail: “Our next port of call is Appeal Court”, Nnamdi Kanu’s counsel reveals
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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.
Ejimakor spoke shortly after Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on counts one, four, five, and six, instead of a death sentence.
He also sentenced the IPOB leader to 20 years imprisonment on Count Three, and five years imprisonment on Count Seven, with no option of fine. He 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.
“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.
“I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment for Counts One, Four, Five and Six. For Count Three, he is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
“For Count Seven, he is sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of fine,” Justice Omotosho said while delivering judgment.
Justice Omotosho ruled that Kanu orchestrated violent acts through threats, incitement and directives to his followers.
He said terrorism could not be defended under any principle of law. The judge noted that Kanu refused to present a defence and disrupted proceedings.
The prosecution asked the court to impose the maximum penalty under the Terrorism Prevention Act.
Kanu’s trial has lasted several years. He was first arrested in 2015 for treasonable felony and terrorism.
He fled Nigeria in 2017 while on bail after a military operation at his residence during “Operation Python Dance.”
He was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 under disputed circumstances and returned to Nigeria, a move his team described as an “extraordinary rendition.”
Prosecutors later expanded the charges to 15 counts, including terrorism and incitement.
Kanu’s lawyers have repeatedly questioned the legality of the trial and alleged serious procedural violations. They argue that issues involving extradition and jurisdiction undermine the legitimacy of the prosecution.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, on Thursday announced the extension of the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026.
The was contained in a statement by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi in Ado Ekiti
The statement read: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, wishes to inform all registered voters in the State that the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026
“The extension is intended to provide an additional opportunity for eligible voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 20th June 2026.
“Collection of PVCs will continue at the designated Local Government Area Offices of the Commission during official hours. Voters are advised to collect their PVCs personally, as collection by proxy will not be permitted.
INEC urges all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to take advantage of this extension, as the PVC remains the only means of identification for voting on Election Day.
“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is given the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.”
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was calling off strikes on Iran and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have… cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.
Iran Warns Of ‘Endless Quagmire’
Iran had warned Washington on Thursday that it risked wading into an “endless quagmire” of war and soaring energy prices, after Trump vowed to launch a new round of airstrikes and to seize an island oil terminal.
Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the Americans, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued his stark warning after the two sides exchanged overnight fire and Trump threatened that US forces would hit “VERY HARD TONIGHT”.
“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” Ghalibaf said.
The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused under an April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have since stalled.
US forces have also, since the ceasefire, hit radar arrays and disabled Iranian ships, and Tehran has maintained a chokehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” Trump said, in a post on his own social media platform, referring to a Gulf island that hosts Iran’s biggest oil export terminal.
General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s central headquarters, warned that “if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it would receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching”.
The conflict has destabilised oil and gas prices, fuelling inflation and fears of recession in many economies.
On Thursday, the World Bank lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the coronavirus pandemic, predicting it would drop to 2.5 percent in 2026, from 2.9 percent last year.
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Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP, who’s vying for the Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, has sent his congratulations to Rt. Hon. Frederick Agbedi. Agbedi’s new role as Minority Leader was announced today during plenary by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Dr. Akpodiete said Agbedi’s emergence shows the trust and confidence his colleagues have in him. He described the new Minority Leader as dependable, strong-willed, and a politician of principle who acts on conviction rather than convenience.
Rt. Hon. Agbedi represents Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State. Before this appointment, he led the PDP Caucus in the House and also served as Bayelsa PDP chairman. He remains a committed PDP member and believes the party has a vital role as a strong opposition.
Akpodiete said he’s confident Agbedi will use his experience, competence and character to serve the House, the legislature, and Nigerians well.
Signed:
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP
House of Representatives Candidate Hopeful
Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency
INEC extends PVCs collection in Ekiti for 72hours
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