Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has sharply criticized the conviction and life sentence handed down to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing the judgment as a confirmation of long-standing concerns about systemic injustice in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by his media adviser, Uchenna Awom, Abaribe said the verdict did not come as a surprise to people in the South-East and to “many fair-minded Nigerians.”
He argued that the Federal Government’s persistent refusal to consider dialogue or grant amnesty to Kanu had already indicated what the outcome would be.
According to him, once the court failed to apply the same conciliatory approaches extended to armed groups in other regions, “today’s judgment was already written on the wall.”
Abaribe accused the government of double standards in its administration of justice, citing peace negotiations with terror groups in the North East and North West, as well as the amnesty and economic incentives offered to former militants in the South South.
“Is it not ironic,” he asked, “that authorities at all levels readily engaged violent groups in dialogue and even rewarded ex-militants with lucrative pipeline contracts, yet no such consideration was given to the South East? This only shows that justice in Nigeria is not evenly applied.”
He noted that South-East leaders had consistently appealed for restraint and urged the Federal Government to pursue a political solution, but their appeals were ignored.
“We are not taken aback. All we can do is continue to hope for a future where justice becomes the foundation of our nation,” he said.
Despite expressing disappointment, Abaribe urged residents of the South East to remain peaceful, stressing that the region now looks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the matter fairly.
“The fate of the Igbo now lies on President Tinubu’s desk. Our people must stay calm and prayerful. May Nigeria grow in justice, equity, and fairness.”
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court delivered the life sentence after Kanu’s decade-long trial. The ruling comes four years after his controversial arrest in Kenya and subsequent return to Nigeria.
(Daily Gazette)
