(DDM) — Human rights lawyer, Maxwell Opara, has publicly defended his participation in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, emphasizing that legal practitioners have a constitutional right to demonstrate when fundamental rights are violated.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Opara spoke during a Tuesday interview on Arise Television, stressing that there is no Nigerian law preventing lawyers from taking part in peaceful protests demanding government accountability.
“Well, I have been, as a researcher, going through the laws to see where it is written that a lawyer cannot protest or participate in a protest against injustice or when the right of his client is being violated. I am yet to see such a law,” Opara said.
He further explained that even if such a law existed, it would contradict the Nigerian Constitution, which is supreme and overrides all conflicting statutes.
Opara clarified that the protests are not intended to challenge court judgments, but are directed at ensuring the federal government complies with existing rulings favoring the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
“We are not protesting to ask the court to give us judgments. We never protested against any issue that has to do with the judiciary. We are asking the executive to free Nnamdi Kanu because its actions amount to discrimination,” he said.
He reminded viewers that multiple courts, three Nigerian and two foreign courts, have ruled in Kanu’s favor, awarding ₦1 billion and ₦500 million in damages against the federal government, yet the government has failed to implement the rulings.
Opara sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as selective justice, noting that while the government pardons convicted criminals and negotiates with bandits, it continues to detain Kanu despite clear court orders.
“The president now, instead of looking at all these issues, directed the police and the army to negotiate with bandits. Those committing acts of crime are pardoned.
Meanwhile, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has court judgments in his favor, remains detained. This is discrimination against him and the Igbos,” he said.
He cited Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which forbids discrimination based on religion, tribe, sex, or other factors, highlighting the government’s actions as a direct violation of constitutional rights.
Opara also referenced the continued pattern of selective compliance, arguing that citizens are observing the federal government’s inconsistent application of the law, which could further erode public trust in national institutions.
He maintained that lawyers and citizens alike have a duty to peacefully resist executive overreach, and that the protest is a legitimate means to ensure the federal government respects judicial decisions and upholds democratic principles.
Opara concluded by warning that the federal government’s inaction could heighten tensions and provoke wider civil unrest, urging authorities to comply with court orders and release Kanu immediately.
The remarks have reignited debates over judicial independence, executive overreach, and ethnic discrimination, placing the federal government under renewed scrutiny both nationally and internationally.
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