Sokoto Government declares readiness to dialogue with bandits, as IPOB condemns FG’s linking of Kanu with #EndSARS 

The government of Sokoto State has made known its readiness to enter into dialogue with bandits who are ready to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

This is even as the Indigenous People of Biafra has described the ongoing trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and what transpired in court on Thursday as a full-blown indictment on Nigeria’s judicial system and exposure of the Federal Government’s “reckless abuse” of judicial processes.

Sokoto State government’s position was made known by Ahmed Usman, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Security Matters, during a media briefing.

He highlighted the importance of negotiation as a strategic path to ending the ongoing insecurity in the state.

“We wholeheartedly welcome any development that promotes peace and security in our region,” Usman stated.

“It’s important to recognise that, historically, many conflicts have ended not solely through force but through dialogue.

“In Sokoto, we’re open to engaging in negotiations with bandits who are genuinely willing to surrender and embrace peace.”

Usman also extended appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the service chiefs, security commanders, and frontline personnel for their relentless efforts in maintaining security in the region.

“Their sacrifices are deeply appreciated. May Allah bless the souls of our fallen heroes and grant comfort to their families,” he said.

In addition, the state government welcomed the federal government’s plan to deploy forest guards as part of broader efforts to combat insecurity.

Usman stressed that the integrity of the recruitment process and the trust of local communities would be critical to the success of the initiative.

In a statement released on Friday, the Spokesman for the pro-Biafran group, Emma Powerful, said what transpired at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday exposed the Federal Government’s last gasp effort to blame Kanu for the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

Powerful said it is high time the world took urgent and critical notice of the Federal Government’s “falsehoods” and ongoing “sham” trial of the pro-Biafran leader before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, insisting that the trial is a conspiracy built on falsehoods and media manipulations.

He said, “Thursday, June 19, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in a case that has from inception, been sustained by a toxic cocktail of deceit, media manipulation, evidentiary fraud, and a calculated campaign to criminalise self-determination.

“Following the conclusion of cross-examination, the prosecution led by Chief Awomolo, SAN, has closed its case. In response, the defence team led by the eminent Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN indicated his readiness to file a ‘No-Case Submission’, citing the total failure of the prosecution to establish any shred of evidence linking Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to any offence known to law, much less terrorism.

“As a result, Justice Omotosho has adjourned the case to July 18, 2025 for the adoption of final written addresses.

“But let it be stated with absolute clarity: what transpired in court yesterday was not merely a defeat for the government—it is a full-blown indictment of the Nigerian state’s reckless abuse of the judicial process.

“Despite the courtroom being governed by restrictive reporting rules, it is a matter of public record that the last prosecution witness—PW5-EEE, a supposed intelligence officer—collapsed under the weight of cross-examination by the very excellent Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN. The witness was evasive, contradictory, and pathetically unprepared.

“So damning was his performance that even the prosecution’s lead counsel, Awomolo, SAN, had to caution him in open court. Justice Omotosho was visibly exasperated and at several points compelled the witness to answer basic ‘yes or no’ questions he was deliberately evading.

“The government’s last gasp effort at propping up this collapsed case was a laughable attempt to blame Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the #EndSARS protests—a grassroots youth-led movement that began in Ughelli, Delta State.

“According to PW5-EEE, the nationwide protest against police brutality was incited by Kanu’s broadcasts, and the government now claims—absurdly—that he was its mastermind. This desperate narrative is not just intellectually bankrupt; it is morally obscene.”

Powerful said among the disturbing revelations in court was the no evidence of the 200 security operatives allegedly killed in the South-East was presented, adding that no names, no ranks, no stations and no death certificates was presented for prove.

“The assessment report purportedly tying IPOB to security breaches was not even produced in 2020 when these incidents supposedly happened. It was fabricated only this month—June 2025, a staggering admission of falsification that should provoke outrage from every decent human being.

“The autopsy reports and coroner’s certificates were unsigned, unverifiable and riddled with forgeries. The unnamed persons who ‘discovered’ these phantom bodies were conveniently absent from the entire prosecution case. This is not law—it is fiction.

“We are forced to ask: Why has the Nigerian press continued to ignore these courtroom bombshells? Why are media houses quick to publish every accusation made by the DSS or the prosecution, yet remain mute when those very accusations crumble under scrutiny in open court?

“We encourage every Nigerian and members of the international community to file applications for Certified True Copies of the daily proceedings and see for themselves the shocking collapse of the Federal Government’s case.

“Kanu is a man of peace. He is not on trial for violence. He is on trial for daring to speak truth to power and for demanding justice for a long-oppressed people. The government’s case against him is not just weak—it is a monument to state-sponsored falsehood.

“History will record those who stood by while injustice was clothed in the garments of legality. It will also remember those who rose to expose it,” the statement added.