Kanu’s Trial ‘War Against Igbos,’ Says Defence Lawyer, Alleges Political Persecution

Human rights lawyer and member of Nnamdi Kanu’s defence team, Barrister Maxwell Okpara, has accused the Federal Government of turning the ongoing trial of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader into an instrument of political persecution against the Igbo ethnic group.

Addressing journalists after Thursday’s hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Okpara argued that the case transcends Kanu as an individual, describing it as a manifestation of “systemic bias, injustice, and ethnic profiling” against the Igbos.

“This is not just about Nnamdi Kanu — the Igbos are on trial. What we are witnessing is a war against an entire people,” he stated.

The lawyer criticised the Federal Government’s approach to Kanu’s case, contrasting it with how it handles issues involving terrorists and armed bandits in other regions of the country.

“The same government that negotiates with terrorists insists on persecuting someone for exercising his constitutional right to self-determination,” Okpara said.

He also faulted the court’s jurisdiction over the matter, stressing that Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya violated international law.

“You cannot abduct someone illegally from another country and still claim the authority to try him. The government that violated global conventions cannot pretend to uphold justice at home,” he asserted.

Okpara described the trial as a litmus test for Nigeria’s commitment to justice, fairness, and human rights.

“If this continues, it will only confirm that there are two sets of laws in Nigeria — one for others and another for the Igbos,” he concluded.