By Erewunmi Peace

Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has strongly criticised the life sentence handed down to her husband by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice James Omotosho on Thursday convicted Kanu on multiple terrorism-related charges and ordered that he be held in a secure correctional facility due to security concerns. The ruling has sparked significant reactions across the country, particularly from Kanu’s legal team and family.

Reacting in an official statement, Uchechi described the judgment as “deeply flawed,” alleging that the court relied on a “dead law”—a reference to the repealed version of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act. She claimed that the judge imposed the sentence under a legal framework that should no longer apply.

She further accused Justice Omotosho of delivering what she called a “scripted judgment,” insisting that several parts of the ruling appeared pre-written and inconsistent with the evidence presented in court. According to her, some of the alleged evidence cited by the judge was never tendered during trial.

Uchechi also argued that her husband did not receive a fair trial, adding that the conviction was politically motivated and that the facts of the case were misrepresented in court.

The sentencing has generated widespread reactions, with legal experts divided over the implications of the ruling and the validity of the wife’s claims. IPOB members and supporters have also expressed dissatisfaction, calling for an immediate appeal.

Meanwhile, authorities have yet to respond formally to the accusations raised by Kanu’s wife.

More updates will be provided as the story develops.