Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, has reacted strongly to the life imprisonment sentence handed to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). According to him, the judgment did not come as a shock, as many signs had already pointed to a predetermined outcome.
The verdict was delivered on Thursday by the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Kanu was convicted on terrorism-related charges. Abaribe, who has long been involved in conversations surrounding Kanu’s case, said the ruling only reinforced the belief that justice in Nigeria remains uneven across regions.
‘A Plotted Outcome Against Kanu’
In a statement released through his media adviser, Uchenna Awom, the former Senate Minority Leader said the events leading up to the sentencing suggested a well-coordinated plan. He pointed out that unlike other groups involved in violent activities across the country, no form of amnesty or negotiation was considered for Kanu.
He highlighted how terrorists in the North East and bandits in the North West had, at different times, been engaged in dialogues and offered reintegration, while former militants in the South South received amnesty and even secured pipeline surveillance contracts.
Abaribe stated: “Is it not an irony that negotiations and peace deals with rampaging terrorists in the North East and North West were gleefully initiated by local, state and federal authorities, just like the amnesty to ex-militants in the South South, who were rewarded with lucrative oil pipeline contracts? This is to say that justice in Nigeria is not for the South East.”
He added that this judgement once again reinforces the urgent need for a Nigeria where justice is applied equally to all citizens, regardless of ethnic or regional background.
Urging Peace and Restraint
Abaribe noted that several appeals had been made in the past for authorities to consider a political solution or pardon for Kanu, in the interest of national unity and reconciliation.
However, with those appeals unheeded, he said the people of the South East must now rely on President Bola Tinubu’s final actions regarding the case.
He called on residents of the region, as well as all supporters of peace nationwide, to remain calm and avoid any steps that could escalate tensions or lead to unrest.
Abaribe concluded with a message of hope: “May Nigeria succeed, thrive and advance in justice, equity and fairness.”