Nnamdi Kanu: Igbo leaders reject life sentence, call verdict unjust
By John Okezie
Reactions have continued to trail the life imprisonment handed down to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, with prominent Igbo figures and groups describing the judgment as unjust, provocative and a threat to the fragile peace in the South-East.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court delivered the ruling yesterday, ten years after Kanu’s trial began. Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya in 2021 under controversial circumstances and brought back to Nigeria, was convicted on all seven terrorism-related charges despite pleading not guilty.
Secretary General of the Alaigbo Development Foundation, Abia Onyike, said the ruling should not be allowed to stand. According to him, “The judgment needs to be appealed. The case of Nnamdi Kanu requires a political and not a judicial solution.” He insisted that only dialogue, not punishment, can bring lasting peace to the region.
In a more elaborate reaction, Emeritus Professor of Political Science and respected Igbo statesman, Obasi Igwe, dismissed the ruling entirely, insisting it was predetermined and lacked any sense of justice.
He said, “It is no judgement; it’s a preconceived delivery. No one is deceived. Nnamdi Kanu knew in advance that he was accused of things he didn’t do, that didn’t happen, and that he would expect no justice from those who see him as disrupting their enslavement and impoverishment of Nigerians.”
Prof. Igwe questioned the foundation of the charges brought against Kanu, arguing that there was no evidence linking him to any acts of violence.
He asked, “Was Nnamdi Kanu privy to the movement and itinerary of government officials so as to arrange the equipment to monitor from abroad or from prison and kill them in Imo or any other state? It’s all a farcical act of crude vengeance to break his will and, maybe, to orchestrate a reason for renewed sponsored killings of Easterners.”
He went further to challenge the narrative that the South-East is facing an insurgency, stating, “There has never been the alleged ‘insurgency’ in the East, by which a federally sponsored Unknown Gunmen and official armies join forces to decimate the Igbo populations. The East had always been a bastion of peace until federal authorities decided against its continuation. So, no one would start a war because of the unjust sentencing of Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to him, the ruling is designed to provoke unrest and justify future state-backed attacks on the region. He warned, “This so-called ‘judgement’ is a sinister ploy to procure a casus belli for renewed official attacks on the Igbo. ‘Unknown Gunmen’ would be ready to start attacking police stations, and vengeance would be rained on innocent people who become ‘the insurgents’ protesting Kanu’s unlawful incarceration.”
Prof. Igwe urged caution, calling on Igbo leaders and citizens to resist being drawn into violence. He said, “Igbo leaders, elites, all men and women of goodwill should continue demanding the unconditional release, compensation and rehabilitation of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“The unjust sentencing is the product of a charade already condemned by the civilized international community, and a trap to divert attention from the murderous events in the North and Middle Belt to the East once again. Whether or not they do it, the Igbo shall not give them the excuse to do so.”
He concluded that Kanu is innocent of all accusations. “Nnamdi Kanu is neither terrorist nor criminal, and should be released unconditionally; he never fought against Nigeria nor harmed anyone. Igbo should be peaceful, and let the lies continue to insult the intelligence of everybody that Nnamdi Kanu was terrorist and that Nigeria, a den of terrorists destroying peoples and occupying and renaming communities, at long last found one ‘Igbo terrorist’ to humiliate”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) expressed what it described as deep shock and disappointment over the ruling.
In a statement signed by its President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, the group said the judgment has reopened old wounds and threatens the fragile stability the region had begun to regain.
“The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders receives with deep shock and disappointment the reported sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment. This judgment, rather than heal wounds or promote national unity, has reopened deep scars in the hearts of many Igbo youths who have always hoped for a peaceful, political resolution to the agitation”, the statement reads.
The group warned that the ruling risks reversing the calm gradually returning to the region. It said, “It threatens the fragile peace that was gradually returning to the South East. Many young people had begun to embrace calm, hopeful that ongoing political and diplomatic efforts would lead to justice and fairness.”
COSEYL also criticised the government’s reliance on force rather than dialogue. “The judgment signals that constructive dialogue is being sidelined in favour of hard line legalism, a path that has historically failed to resolve deeply rooted national grievances.
“It also undermines the genuine efforts of respected Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, clerics and stakeholders who have consistently advocated for a political solution in the spirit of reconciliation, equity and national unity”, the group said.
The youth body called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene immediately, saying, “We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider a political solution in the interest of national peace, unity and coexistence.”
COSEYL also demanded that elected officials from the region respond to the development. “The National Assembly and the South East Governors Forum should urgently meet and review the consequences of this judgment, and make clear their stance on behalf of their people”, it stated.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful engagement but described the ruling as a troubling reminder of Nigeria’s deep divisions.
