The Executive Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr Sam Amadi, says the conviction and life sentence handed to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu marks the peak of what he describes as decades of political marginalisation of the Igbo.
Speaking during his Thursday Democracy Broadcast, Amadi argued that Kanu’s prosecution by the Federal High Court in Abuja carries the unmistakable imprint of a “political trial,” rather than a fair and neutral application of justice. According to him, the case reflects a broader pattern in which Igbo-related grievances are handled with disproportionate severity compared to other violent agitations across the country.
To illustrate this point, Amadi pointed to alleged Boko Haram sympathisers in the North, violence linked to Fulani herdsmen, and past OPC-related attacks in the Southwest, none of which, he noted, resulted in the kind of prolonged terrorism trial now associated with Kanu.
“Kanu is the first person who has faced trial and been convicted after many years of being put on trial. This is a political action by the Nigerian state,” he said, insisting that the legal processes leading to the verdict were “deeply unfair.”
Amadi recalled Kanu’s controversial extraordinary rendition from Kenya, his prolonged detention in the custody of the DSS, and the repeated disregard of court orders granting him bail or relief. Together, he argued, these events expose glaring inconsistencies in Nigeria’s justice system.
However, even while condemning the trial, Amadi urged the Igbo people to reject any temptation toward violence. He warned that resorting to force would only reopen the security wounds that destabilised the region during the Buhari administration.
“The message to Ndigbo is simple: Don’t fall for this. No violence in the South-East—none whatsoever,” he cautioned.
Instead, Amadi called for strategic political mobilisation, stressing that the solutions the region seeks will not come from foreign governments or international institutions but from building strong internal political structures.
“Kanu is convicted because the Igbo have been convicted. He is sentenced because the Igbo have been sentenced politically,” he declared, arguing that the judgment should serve as a wake-up call for renewed political organisation across the South-East.
He urged governors, senators, and local political actors to close ranks and actively defend Igbo interests. “This moment is a moment of clarity for us to resolve that we’re going to take over the South-East,” he said, advocating unity and coordinated political engagement.
Kanu’s sentencing on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho sparked fresh debates nationwide. Delivering the judgment, the judge said he attempted to “temper justice with mercy,” even as he criticised Kanu’s conduct throughout the trial.
Despite earlier court rulings—such as the October 2023 judgement that nullified IPOB’s terrorist designation and awarded Kanu N8 billion in damages—the court held that Kanu’s actions constituted terrorism under the Terrorism Prevention Act.
Justice Omotosho said he declined to impose the death penalty in line with global trends and biblical principles of mercy, even though he described Kanu as “arrogant, cocky, and full of himself.” He ultimately convicted Kanu on counts 1, 4, 5, and 6, sentencing him to life imprisonment. He also imposed sentences of 20 years and 5 years on additional counts, all to run concurrently.
The court further noted that Kanu’s alleged outburst in court and an attempted assault on security personnel reinforced its perception of his “tendency toward violence.” After removing him from the courtroom earlier in the day, the judge ordered the trial to proceed in his absence, ruling that the prosecution’s evidence stood unchallenged since Kanu declined to mount a defence.
The court also upheld the charge that Kanu issued a violently enforced “sit-at-home” order across the South-East, describing it as a terrorist act under Section 16 of the Act, which prescribes death or life imprisonment. It further affirmed that Kanu’s own statements linked him directly to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, both designated as terrorist groups by the Federal Government in 2017.
