Former Senate Minority Leader Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has strongly condemned the life imprisonment sentence handed to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing the verdict as confirming long-standing fears about injustice in Nigeria's judicial system.
Expected Verdict Sparks Regional Concerns
In a statement released from Abuja on November 20, 2025, through his media adviser Uchenna Awom, Abaribe expressed that the conviction came as no surprise to the Igbo nation and other concerned Nigerians. The senator revealed that the Federal Government's earlier refusal to consider amnesty for Kanu had clearly indicated the direction the case would ultimately take.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court delivered the life sentence judgment on Thursday, concluding a ten-year legal battle that began with Kanu's controversial arrest in Kenya four years prior. According to Abaribe, the court's rejection of conciliatory approaches previously extended to other armed groups made Thursday's outcome inevitable.
Double Standards in Justice Administration
The Abia South senator questioned what he characterized as clear disparities in how justice is administered across different regions of Nigeria. He pointed to established patterns where authorities at local, state, and federal levels have actively pursued negotiations and peace agreements with terror groups operating in the North East and North West regions.
"Is it not an irony," Abaribe challenged, "that negotiations and peace deals with rampaging terrorists were gleefully initiated by local, state and federal authorities, just like the amnesty granted to ex-militants who were later rewarded with lucrative oil pipeline contracts? That is to say that justice in Nigeria is not for the South East."
The lawmaker emphasized that leaders from the South East had consistently advocated for caution and pushed the government to consider presidential pardon for Kanu as a symbolic gesture promoting national unity and inclusion. However, these appeals appeared to have fallen on deaf ears within the administration.
Appeal for Calm and Presidential Intervention
Despite the profound disappointment surrounding the court's decision, Abaribe stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South East region. He acknowledged that regional leaders had exhausted diplomatic channels in seeking a political resolution to the prolonged Kanu dilemma.
"We have done our best; we have variously made the case for circumspection and for a political solution," the senator stated, adding that the Igbo nation now looks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for equitable resolution of the matter.
With legal options apparently exhausted, Abaribe concluded that "The Igbo nation is now left with no other option than to place her fate squarely on the desk of President Tinubu. We must remain calm and pray. May Nigeria succeed, thrive and advance in justice, equity and fairness."
