Nnamdi Kanu’s Wife, Uchechi, Condemns Justice Omotosho, Alleges Constitutional Breaches in Terrorism Ruling

Uchechi Okwu Kanu, wife of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has issued a strong condemnation of Justice James Omotosho following the life sentence handed to her husband on Thursday. Her remarks came hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered its ruling, convicting Kanu on all seven terrorism related counts brought against him by the Federal Government.

In a lengthy statement shared online, Uchechi accused the trial judge of violating fundamental constitutional provisions and acting on what she described as a “prepared script.” She argued that the proceedings fell short of the standards required under Nigerian law, particularly in cases involving terrorism charges.

Uchechi insisted that under Nigerian law, specifically Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, a defendant cannot be compelled to open a defence on criminal charges unless the written law defining the offence and its corresponding penalty is clearly read in court.

She alleged that Justice Omotosho failed to comply with this requirement, claiming the judge did not present the written law under which her husband was being tried. According to her, this omission amounted to a direct violation of constitutional safeguards designed to ensure fair trial.

“It provides that a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence is defined and the penalty prescribed in a written law,” she said. “What Omotosho has done today is simply reading a script handed to him. Everyone saw and heard him struggling with the words in his own judgment.”

Uchechi further alleged that the judge refused to issue written rulings on key applications filed by Kanu’s legal team throughout the course of the trial. She said Kanu was told to include all objections in his final written address, only for the court to prevent him from submitting that address.

“You cannot ask someone to write a final address and then block him from submitting it,” she said. “This is a fundamental violation. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has the right to submit a final address, but Omotosho blocked this and went ahead to read out what he called counts.”

She also accused the court of attempting to force her husband to take a plea under a repealed law, a move she said Kanu rejected because the law was never presented to him in written form.

The DAILY POST reported that the Federal High Court sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on Thursday after convicting him on all seven terrorism charges filed by the Department of State Services. Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution had established its case through “sufficient and credible evidence,” adding that Kanu’s decision not to call witnesses or present a defence left the court with no choice but to convict him.

Kanu received life imprisonment on multiple counts, while additional charges attracted lengthy prison terms, all without the option of a fine.

Uchechi’s statement has sparked widespread debate, with many questioning the transparency of the trial and the implications of her allegations. Supporters of the IPOB leader have continued to express outrage on social media, accusing the judiciary of bias, while other Nigerians insist that the court followed due process in line with the gravity of the charges.

Legal analysts say her claims may fuel renewed pressure on the Federal Government and judicial authorities to clarify the processes that led to the conviction.

The conviction and life sentence mark a major turning point in Kanu’s decade-long legal battle, and the reactions to Uchechi’s criticism suggest that the controversy surrounding the case is far from over.