The Executive Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi, has described the conviction and life sentence handed to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as evidence of long-standing political marginalisation of the Igbo people.
Speaking during his Thursday Democracy Broadcast, Amadi argued that Kanu’s prosecution by the Federal High Court in Abuja reflects the characteristics of a “political trial” rather than a neutral, fair application of justice.
He said Kanu’s case fits into a broader national pattern in which issues involving the South-East are met with disproportionate severity compared with similar or even more violent agitations in other regions.
According to him, cases involving alleged Boko Haram sympathisers in the North, violent attacks linked to some Fulani herdsmen, and episodes involving OPC elements in the Southwest never resulted in the type of high-profile terrorism trials 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,” Amadi said, adding that the legal process that led to the verdict was “deeply unfair.”
He also referenced Kanu’s controversial extraordinary rendition from Kenya, his prolonged detention by the Department of State Services (DSS), and repeated violations of court orders that had previously granted him relief.
All of these, he argued, underscore a justice system that treats different groups with glaring inconsistency.
“No Violence in the South-East” — Amadi Warns
Despite his criticism of the judicial process, Amadi urged the Igbo community to avoid violent reactions.
He said renewed violence would worsen the wounds inflicted on the region during the period of insecurity that escalated under the former Buhari administration.
“The message to Ndigbo is simple: Don’t fall for this. No violence in the South-East — none whatsoever,” he stressed.
Instead, he urged IPOB members and sympathisers to direct their anger toward organized political participation, warning that salvation for the region would not come from foreign governments or international bodies but from deliberate, strategic local mobilization.
Amadi said Kanu’s ordeal mirrors the political vulnerability of the Igbo people.
“He is convicted because the Igbo have been convicted. He is sentenced because the Igbo have been sentenced politically,” he said.
He called for renewed political unity, urging governors, senators, and local government leaders to commit to a coordinated political movement capable of defending South-East interests.
“This moment is a moment of clarity for us to resolve that we’re going to take over the South-East,” he said.
“No violence in the South-East; rather, strong political action. A word is enough for the wise.”
Court Convicts Kanu on Terrorism Charges
Diaspora Digital Media reported that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on multiple terrorism-related counts, including leading a proscribed organisation and enforcing sit-at-home orders through threats and violence.
The judge said Kanu’s conduct during the trial including what the court described as an attempted assault on security personnel on the morning of judgment reinforced his “tendency toward violence.”
Kanu was removed from the courtroom for alleged unruly behaviour, after which the judge ordered proceedings to continue in his absence.
The court held that because Kanu refused to present a defence, the prosecution’s evidence stood unchallenged.
Justice Omotosho rejected demands for the death penalty, citing global trends away from capital punishment and what he described as biblical principles of mercy.
He admitted, however, that Kanu was “arrogant, cocky, and full of himself,” but maintained that “life is sacred to God.”
He convicted Kanu on counts 1, 4, 5, and 6, sentencing him to life imprisonment.
He also imposed 20 years for count 7 and five years for another count, both without the option of a fine. All sentences are to run concurrently.
Although a separate high court ruling in October 2023 had nullified IPOB’s designation as a terrorist organisation and awarded N8 billion in damages against the federal and South-East governments, Justice Omotosho dismissed that argument, insisting that Kanu’s actions met the legal threshold for terrorism under the Terrorism Prevention Act.
The judge also upheld the charge that Kanu issued and enforced a “sit-at-home” directive through threats and violence, saying such acts fall squarely within terrorism as defined by Section 16 of the Act.
Kanu was further convicted on count 3 after the court held that his own broadcasts and statements affirmed his leadership of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), both categorised as terrorist organisations by the federal government since 2017.
