IPOB argued that jurisdiction cannot be separated between conviction and sentencing, insisting that a court cannot validly convict an individual and then lack jurisdiction to impose sentence on the same charges.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the Court of Appeal to dismiss the Nigerian Government's cross-appeal in the case involving its imprisoned leader, Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that the government's filing amounts to an admission that the trial court acted without jurisdiction in parts of its judgment.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB claimed that the Federal Government, in its Notice of Cross-Appeal against the judgment delivered by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 20, 2025, acknowledged that the trial court lacked jurisdiction when it imposed life imprisonment on certain counts.
According to the group, Kanu accepts the position allegedly contained in the government's filing and believes it undermines the validity of the sentencing process.
"Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu accepts this premise in toto. We adopt the Federal Government’s own words as our own. If the trial Court acted without jurisdiction at the sentencing phase, then the entire sentencing exercise is a nullity ab initio," the statement said.
