Ohanaeze Ndigbo has expressed profound disappointment over Nnamdi Kanu’s life sentence.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Friday described the life imprisonment handed down to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, as “deeply troubling and potentially destabilizing” for Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, Ohanaeze appealed for calm and urged President Bola Tinubu to pursue a political resolution as the most effective route to peace and national reconciliation.
Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze, expressed the Igbo nation’s “profound disappointment” over the ruling.
The statement emphasized, “Beyond legal considerations, the Igbo community is deeply unsettled by what many view as disproportionately harsh treatment in this case, perceived by some as indicative of ethnic bias. Such perceptions undermine trust in national institutions and affect the dignity of the Igbo people.”
Ohanaeze also highlighted that Kanu’s continued detention has intensified insecurity in the South East, stating, “His incarceration has become a flashpoint for unrest, frustration, and youth radicalization. Maintaining a hardline approach will only exacerbate instability.”
The organisation therefore called on President Tinubu to intervene for the sake of national unity and sustainable peace.
“In the interest of national cohesion, peace, and equity, we urge President Bola Tinubu to consider a political solution. Dialogue, rather than maximum punishment, remains the most effective path to address longstanding grievances, restore calm in the Southeast, and advance genuine national reconciliation,” the statement read.
Ohanaeze concluded with a cautionary note, stressing that Nigeria “stands at a crossroads,” and emphasizing that “justice founded on fairness, sensitivity, and inclusiveness is the only way to preserve the unity we all desire.”