- Sowore: “This injustice will not stand”
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and Lagos-based constitutional lawyer Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo have condemned what they describe as deepening injustice in Nigeria following the life sentence handed down to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu was sentenced on Thursday, November 20, 2025, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The court imposed life imprisonment on several counts, alongside 20 years on one count and five years on another, all to run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho held that video evidence showed Kanu urging his followers to “ambush,” “kill,” and “burn down” government facilities and security personnel, and ruled that his sit-at-home directives amounted to terrorism under the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013.
The judge noted that Kanu had no constitutional authority to restrict movement, stating that such powers belong exclusively to the President under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution. Despite condemning Kanu’s actions, the court declined to impose the death penalty, citing global objections to capital punishment and emphasising the place of mercy in justice.
Sowore: “This injustice will not stand”
Reacting to the judgment, Sowore said the global reaction within hours of the sentencing showed that the ruling had backfired.
“It is not even 24 hours yet, and the situation has already changed,” he wrote. “Those who were jubilating and gloating over the monumental injustice done to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday have suddenly fallen silent. The world has awoken to the heinous crime committed against MNK, and the very foundations of that injustice are being exposed.”
Sowore added that the case again highlights Nigeria’s lopsided justice system.
“In this federation, some are treated as more equal than others,” he said. “A handful of people in power believe they can weaponize compromised state institutions to enforce their will. But I warned before, and I warn again: this shall not stand.”
Omirhobo: “Kanu jailed, Gumi untouched — a case study in selective justice”
In a press statement titled “Nnamdi Kanu’s Conviction vs. Sheikh Gumi’s Freedom: A Clear Case of Selective Justice and Unequal Application of the Law,” Chief Malcolm Omirhobo accused the government of running a discriminatory justice system.
He argued that while Kanu has been arrested, detained, tried, and convicted for incendiary broadcasts, Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi—who frequently enters bandit enclaves, negotiates with armed groups, and publicly defends them—remains free and untouched by law enforcement.
“If broadcasts amount to terrorism, then direct contact, negotiation, and advocacy for armed groups constitute far more grievous offences,” Omirhobo stated.
He said the disparity violates sections 17, 36, and 42 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and freedom from discriminatory enforcement.
“This is not rule of law; this is rule by selective discretion,” he said.
Omirhobo called on the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation, DSS, and the Police to investigate Gumi, end selective prosecution, and restore public confidence in the justice system.
“A nation cannot claim to be fighting insecurity while protecting those who fraternize with the authors of national sorrow,” he said. “Until the state proves that the law is blind to religion and ethnicity, justice in Nigeria will remain compromised.”
