•Adegboyega Awomolo in court today
The counsel to the federal government, Adegboyega Awomolo, has hailed the sentencing of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment, saying it signals that no one is above the country’s law.
Awomolo spoke at the Federal High Court in Abuja today after Kanu was convicted of seven counts of terrorism, reports Channels TV.
“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 every one of us,” Awomolo, the prosecuting counsel, told journalists after the court delivered the judgement.
“The law is bigger than every one of us, and the law will take its course to deal with miscreants, to deal with terrorists, to deal with criminals. You know, all of us are victims when we keep quiet. All of us are victims when we don’t do what we ought to do”.
Kanu insisted that he must be allowed time to present his final written address.
He thanked the judiciary for the verdict, saying today’s judgement saved the country from the “claws” of the proscribed group.
“Justice has been done and therefore Nigerians must one way or the other appreciate the judiciary,” he said.
“You remember just last Monday the president was saying that any time when Nigeria is in a big trouble or fix, the judiciary has always come to the aid to salvage Nigeria again. The judiciary has salvaged Nigeria from the claws, from the oppression of the proscribed IPOB.”
”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 had sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of all seven counts on terrorism.
“I hereby sentence the convict to life imprisonment for counts one, four, five, and six, instead of death sentence,” Justice Omotosho said.
“With respect to Count Three, he is hereby sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without no option of fine.
“For Count Seven, he is sentenced to five years imprisonment without no option of fine. To extend the mercy, I hereby order that the sentence shall run concurrently.”
