According to a report by The Vanguard on Thursday, November 20, 2025, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, and several Igbo advocacy groups have condemned the life sentence handed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.
Wabara described the ruling as a collective blow to the Igbo nation, declaring that “it is not Kanu alone, but the entire Igbo race that has been imprisoned for life.”
He expressed disbelief that a Boko Haram commander received only a five-year sentence a day earlier, while Kanu, whom he called a peaceful agitator, was given life imprisonment.
Wabara insisted that Kanu is a freedom advocate, not a terrorist, and confirmed that the ruling would be appealed with confidence in a possible reversal by higher courts.
The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) also rejected the judgment. Its National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, accused the court of ignoring Kanu’s written submissions while reading what she described as a “pre-determined” verdict.
She argued that Kanu’s demands centered on justice and equality for the Igbo people. Chimezie maintained that Nigeria applies different standards to Igbo defendants, noting that violent extremists are often rehabilitated while IPOB members face severe penalties.
Former Minister of Education and Health, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, expressed optimism that the Court of Appeal could overturn the sentence, pointing out that Kanu has 90 days to file an appeal.
Also reacting, HRH Eze Philip Ajomuiwe, former Chairman of the Umuahia North Council of Traditional Rulers, said the ruling reinforces long-standing anti-Igbo sentiment.
He questioned how Kanu was convicted on charges previously dismissed by the Court of Appeal and insisted that his calls for peaceful restructuring were legitimate. View, More,
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