JUST IN: Ndi Igbo United Forum Berates Life Sentence on Nnamdi Kanu, Says Ruling Is a Direct Assault on Justice and National Unity

The Ndi Igbo United Forum Worldwide has issued a strongly worded condemnation of the life sentence passed on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing the judgment as unfair, unsettling, and deeply injurious to the sentiments of millions of Igbo people and lovers of justice across the country.

In a statement released to the press, the FORUM expressed shock and dissatisfaction over the ruling delivered on Thursday, November 20, 2025, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, insisting that the decision does not reflect the spirit of fairness, national healing, or balanced justice in a democratic society.

The Forum stated unequivocally that they are not happy with the judgment, stressing that the life sentence, coming despite widespread calls for dialogue and reconciliation, risks worsening the already fragile peace and stability in the South East.

Recall that the Ndi Igbo United Forum, Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees, Chief Dr. Chinedu Mba, visited Nnamdi Kanu in DSS detention in Abuja on October 17, 2024, in what became one of the most significant solidarity visits in the struggle for a peaceful resolution.

During that landmark visit, the Forum submitted a formal letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appealing for a presidential pardon as a strategic step toward national unity and a long-term political solution. They Appealed then, and still insist now, that healing Nigeria requires magnanimity, not punitive escalation.

According to the statement, “Nnamdi Kanu’s offence is not different from that of Sunday Igboho, who eventually enjoyed the grace of political negotiation and soft landing. If equity must be applied, then Kanu deserves equal and even greater consideration.”

The Forum further argued that while the court may have concluded its role, the power to restore peace now lies squarely with the President, who must rise above politics and act as a father to all.

They insisted that since notorious bandits in parts of the North have, over the years, enjoyed amnesty, negotiations, and government-backed reintegration, there is absolutely no moral justification to deny Nnamdi Kanu the same degree of humane consideration, especially when his actions do not come close to the atrocities committed by those groups.

The statement added that Kanu has now become a prisoner of conscience, punished not for terrorism, but for representing the frustrations of a marginalized people whose issues have long been swept under the carpet.

The Forum therefore renewed its passionate call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene immediately by granting Nnamdi Kanu a presidential pardon or executive release, emphasising that such a step would instantly calm tensions, restore confidence in government, and open the door to genuine reconciliation in the South East.

They concluded by urging the Federal Government to choose dialogue over force, compassion over punishment, and unity over division, noting that the peace of the South East is inseparable from the peace of Nigeria itself.

PRESS STATEMENT BY NDI IGBO UNITED FORUM WORLDWIDE

The Ndi Igbo United Forum Worldwide has received with deep shock and utter disappointment the life sentence passed on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal High Court in Abuja. We condemn this judgment in its entirety and state without reservation that we are not happy with it. This ruling is unjust, unacceptable, and completely out of alignment with the spirit of fairness and national reconciliation.

Nnamdi Kanu’s offence is not different from that of Sunday Igboho, who benefitted from government-led political negotiation and humane considerations. Justice must be equal, and no Nigerian should be subjected to selective punishment. Now that the court has finished its part, it is time for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step in as a leader and father of the nation.

At a time when bandits in the northern part of the country continue to enjoy amnesty, dialogue, and diplomatic negotiations despite their devastating acts of terror, it is only fair that Nnamdi Kanu be given equal if not greater consideration. His actions do not compare in any way to the atrocities committed by those groups. Today, he stands as a prisoner of conscience, suffering for expressing the frustrations of his people.

We call on President Tinubu to urgently intervene and grant Nnamdi Kanu presidential pardon. This singular act will help restore calm, rebuild trust, and secure lasting peace in the South East. The peace of the region is crucial to the peace and unity of Nigeria as a whole.

Signed:

Chief Chuks Nneji

National Publicity Secretary,

Ndi Igbo United Forum Worldwide

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