The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused Nigeria’s judiciary of undermining the rule of law, describing the conviction of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as “judicial banditry.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, challenged the November 20, 2025 judgment by Justice James Omotosho that sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on seven terrorism-related charges.
The group argued that the trial court convicted Kanu under laws that had already been repealed, which they say violates Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution. This section states that a person cannot be convicted of a crime unless the offence and its punishment are clearly defined in a written law.
“Justice Omotosho himself declared in open court: ‘No written law, no conviction.’ Yet, sixteen days later, he proceeded to convict Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu under dead, repealed legislation,” Powerful stated. He specifically pointed to the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011/2013 and the Customs and Excise Management Act.
“A repealed statute is a dead law. It carries no legal force, creates no offences, and prescribes no valid penalties,” the statement read.
The controversy has now shifted focus to the appellate courts and the oversight bodies that regulate judicial conduct in the country.
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IPOB is calling on the Court of Appeal to hear Kanu’s February 2026 appeal without delay. They have also urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the trial judge’s conduct for allegedly using “dead laws” to secure a politically dictated verdict.
They argue that the burden of proof lies with the court to justify the legal basis of the conviction, accusing the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the judge of working together to advance an executive agenda.
“The ultimate test now rests squarely before the Court of Appeal and the National Judicial Council,” IPOB said. “The court must confront the fundamental constitutional question: What living written law defined the offence? Where no such law exists, the conviction must be quashed.”
The group concluded with a direct demand to the authorities: “Show us the law or release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
As Kanu’s legal team continues to fight the life sentence, this latest outburst from his supporters shows that the battle over his freedom is as much about the integrity of the courts as it is about the man himself.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
