Chinedum Elekwachi
Elder statesman and industrialist, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has condemned the life sentence handed down to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as the height of persistent insensitivity and systemic injustice against the Igbo people.
Speaking on the judgement delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Obidigbo said the development represented “yet another political trap” set for the Igbo and the South-East region under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Obidigbo said the ruling instantly rekindled memories of what he described as the “British-engineered trap” that culminated in the Biafran secession and the three-year civil war, which cost an estimated five million Igbo lives.
According to him, the recent judgement reinforced a long-standing pattern of marginalization and hostility against the region.
He argued that the political undertones of Kanu’s trial were deliberately allowed to escalate into a terrorism narrative, insisting that the federal government and its “covert allies” saw an opportunity to provoke and psychologically subdue the Igbo once again.
They are after Igbo Nation
“Those after Kanu are not after him as a person. They are after the soul of the Igbo nation,” he said. “They want the Igbo to react so that another, and perhaps final, genocide will be unleashed.”
Obidigbo claimed that the federal government believed the Igbo had little external support in the event of renewed conflict, noting the absence of regional, religious, or global alliances that could defend them.
He also accused Western powers of quietly supporting policies that undermine the Igbo, whom they allegedly perceive as obstacles to their economic interests in Africa.
Reflecting on the legal trajectory of the case, the elder statesman said suspicions emerged when Justice Binta Nyako recused herself, suggesting that the government was determined to secure a predetermined outcome.
He questioned whether Justice Omotosho’s verdict truly emanated from the judge, making reference to claims circulating that the judgement might have been externally prepared and sent to the court.
Obidigbo further cited a November 5, 2025 post by former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who had alleged that a decision had already been reached within the presidency to either sentence Kanu to death or imprison him for life.
Judgment politically motivated
This, he said, strengthened the belief that the judgment was politically engineered.
He argued that the sentence was part of a larger strategy to provoke the Igbo, force them into confrontational protests, or dangle Kanu’s release as a bargaining chip ahead of the 2027 elections.
“No doubt, the life imprisonment slammed on Kanu was orchestrated to give the president an opportunity to intervene later under certain conditions,” he said.
“But as someone who understands Nigeria’s history, I can tell you this gamble is dead on arrival.”
Obidigbo recalled that several respected Igbo leaders, including the late Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and Ambassador George Obiozor, had urged President Tinubu to adopt a political solution to the IPOB agitation, but their appeals were ignored.
He lamented that the long-standing call for a “handshake across the Niger,” championed by Igbo icons like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was abandoned once political advantage tilted in favour of the South-West.
The elder statesman also criticized some Igbo politicians whom he described as beneficiaries of the status quo, accusing them of prioritizing personal gain over collective regional interest.
Obidigbo described the transfer of Kanu to Sokoto Prison as a deliberate act to humiliate the Igbo and provoke a reaction.
Miscarriage of justice
Obidigbo questioned why Kanu, accused of leading an unarmed separatist movement, would receive a heavier sentence than the leader of ISWAP, Hussain Ismaila, who reportedly received 20 years despite the group’s established record of terror and killings.
He said the disparity underscored the belief that “the war against the Igbo is still ongoing.”
According to him, President Tinubu’s actions since assuming office suggest deep-seated hostility against the Igbo, further widening mistrust between the region and the federal government.
“Tinubu has surpassed Buhari in his hatred for anything Igbo,” he claimed. “If he truly believed in one Nigeria, his actions would reflect justice, equity, and nation-building.”
Obidigbo described Nigeria as “a carefully packaged fraud by Britain,” arguing that the federation has outlived its usefulness and that all ethnic nationalities should be allowed to pursue their destinies.
Despite his strong views, he urged Igbo people to remain calm and avoid the temptation to react violently.
He noted that while terrorists continue to massacre communities and attack security forces across the country, the government seems more fixated on suppressing dissent and punishing calls for a referendum.
Quoting former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, he concluded: “There is God… watching over all of us, including our dear Ahmed and James.
“And God will not allow anything happen to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu under their watch.”
