“Justice in Nigeria Is Not for the South-East”
Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has expressed disappointment over the conviction and life imprisonment handed to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Abaribe said the judgment did not come as a surprise, insisting that the outcome had long been predicted.
In a statement released through his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, the senator described the ruling as a “preconceived plot” that many in the South-East and across Nigeria had anticipated.
Abaribe argued that the Federal Government’s refusal to consider pleas for amnesty for Kanu similar to gestures extended to other groups was an early sign that the verdict was predetermined.
“At the time the Federal Government refused to consider extending amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu as it did to others, we knew today’s outcome was imminent,” he stated.
He questioned what he described as the selective application of justice in Nigeria, pointing out that known terrorists in the North-East and North-West have enjoyed negotiations, peace deals, and rehabilitation, while ex-militants in the South-South were granted amnesty and even awarded lucrative pipeline protection contracts.
“This clearly shows that justice in Nigeria does not extend to the South-East,” Abaribe added.
Despite his disappointment, Abaribe urged the Igbo nation and all Nigerians to remain calm, avoid violence, and trust the process. He emphasised that the next move lies with President Bola Tinubu, saying the matter is now squarely in his hands.
“We ask the Igbo nation and other lovers of Nigeria to remain calm, pray, and not take the law into their hands. May Nigeria succeed, thrive, and advance in justice, equity, and fairness,” he concluded.
