Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has expressed his sadness over the conviction and life imprisonment sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for terrorism, but noted that the outcome “did not come as a surprise.”
In a release signed by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, in Abuja on Thursday, the Senator stated that the life sentence handed down to the IPOB leader had been long anticipated and was an outcome that many people had already predicted.
Concerns about the foreseeability of the judgment
Senator Abaribe attributed the foreseeability of the judgment to the concerns and appeals consistently raised by various leaders throughout Kanu’s trial. He noted that these concerns indicated that the final verdict was highly predictable.
The Senator specifically recalled earlier pleas directed at the Federal Government to consider extending an amnesty to Kanu, which would align with measures previously granted to other armed or separatist groups in different regions of the country. Abaribe stressed that the government’s refusal to consider these pleas made Thursday’s judgment an expected consequence of the political and judicial approach taken.
Citing inconsistent approaches to armed groups
Abaribe highlighted a perceived pattern of unequal treatment by the government in handling regional security and self-determination issues. He observed a sharp contrast between the government’s engagements with armed groups in the North-East and North-West, and the implementation of amnesty programmes in the South-South region (e.g., for Niger Delta militants).
He argued that this disparity, where dialogue and amnesty were offered in some regions while a strict criminal prosecution was pursued in the South-East, has led to “concerns about fairness and equal treatment” among many Nigerians. This perceived inconsistency fueled the anticipation of a severe legal outcome for Kanu.
A plea for calm and Presidential intervention
Despite the disappointing development, the Senator urged the public to remain calm and maintain hope for a justice system that can command broad public confidence across all regions.
In his concluding remarks, Abaribe positioned the future of the matter as resting squarely with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He expressed optimism that the President would exercise his powers by carefully considering national unity and inclusion in any further decisions related to Kanu’s case, perhaps through a pardon or review.
He ended with a prayer for the nation: “We must remain calm and pray. May Nigeria succeed, thrive and advance in justice, equity and fairness.”
