By Pius Awunah
Condemnation has trailed the conviction of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB),Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment on Thursday by an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice James Omotosho.
Leading the condemnation is the Igbo Community Association, Abuja,which condemned the conviction,asserting that Kanu was not given a fair opportunity to defend himself during the trial.
President General of the association,Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, in a statement, described the judgment as a setback for the judiciary and the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“The judiciary may have decided on its own to unravel the painstaking peace achieved in the South East by declaring Mazi Nnamdi Kanu guilty without affording him the opportunity to defend himself,”
Ellis-Ezenekwe said. “This judgment does not speak well for the judiciary or for the Tinubu administration. This action may trigger unforeseen consequences and challenges for the government.”
He called on Nigerians and patriots to speak out against what he described as the continued detention of Kanu, emphasising that the ruling contrasts sharply with the treatment given to Boko Haram combatants and other militants across the country.
“Today is a sad day in Nigeria. We want peace, and in the name of peace, we have urged our people to remain calm and law-abiding,”
Ellis-Ezenekwe added. “We are confident that justice will ultimately prevail.”
In his reaction, former
Senate President Adolphus Wabara noted that by the conviction,
Ndigbo had been imprisoned for life and
condemned the life imprisonment handed down to the IPOB leader.
Wabara described the judgment as unjust, saying it was “not Kanu alone, but the entire Igbo race that they have imprisoned for life.”
He said he was shocked that while a Boko Haram leader was sentenced to just five years in prison 24 hours earlier, Kanu — a non-violent activist — received a life sentence.
According to him, Kanu is not a terrorist but a freedom fighter advocating against injustice towards the Igbo people.
He stressed that the judgment would be appealed, expressing hope for a favourable outcome at the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
“The law they apply for the Igbos is not the same as for other Nigerians. The real terrorists are being rehabilitated and reintegrated, while peaceful IPOB members face harsh sentencing for legitimate demands,” he said.
