Former Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe has expressed deep dissatisfaction over the conviction and life sentence handed to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement released through his media adviser, Uchenna Awom, Abaribe said the verdict did not come as a shock to the Igbo nation or to Nigerians who have followed the case closely.
He argued that the judgment reflected what he described as a long-anticipated outcome, noting that once the Federal Government refused to consider appeals to include Kanu in the amnesty extended to others in similar circumstances, the direction of the case became clear. According to him, efforts to secure leniency had been repeatedly ignored.
Abaribe criticised what he sees as an unequal application of justice across the country. He pointed out that negotiations and peace deals with insurgents in the North East and North West were embraced at all levels of government, just as ex-militants in the South South were granted amnesty and rewarded with significant oil pipeline contracts. He argued that such gestures were never extended to the South East, describing the pattern as evidence that justice in Nigeria is selective.
“So we are not surprised,” he said, noting that the people of the region had continued to endure while hoping for a period when justice would become foundational in the country. He emphasized that pleas for caution, unity, and a presidential pardon were repeatedly made but never considered.
Abaribe added that with the current outcome, the Igbo nation now has no choice but to turn fully to President Bola Tinubu, placing the next steps squarely in his hands. He appealed to the public to remain calm, maintain peace, and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
He ended his response with a call for a Nigeria where justice, equity, and fairness are upheld, saying, “May Nigeria succeed, thrive, and advance in justice, equity, and fairness.”
What You Should Know
Enyinnaya Abaribe is a prominent Igbo political figure and one of the most vocal lawmakers on issues affecting the South East.
He has previously intervened in Nnamdi Kanu’s legal troubles, including standing as one of his sureties before Kanu fled the country in 2017.
His current reaction aligns with long-standing concerns in the region about unequal treatment in national security matters and reinforces his consistent advocacy for dialogue and political solutions to separatist tensions.
