By: Sunday Ameh
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of entering into a secret pact with the judiciary to ensure that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is either sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Sowore claimed the decision had already been concluded at high political levels, insisting that the ongoing court proceedings were merely a formality to give legitimacy to a predetermined verdict.
According to him, the trial has ceased to be about justice but has instead become a politically motivated process aimed at silencing dissent. He alleged that Justice Omotosho, who is presiding over Kanu’s case, may interpret Kanu’s refusal to open his defence as proof of guilt, describing it as a “convenient legal strategy” to justify a verdict already agreed behind closed doors.
Sowore likened the situation to Nigeria’s dark past under late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, recalling the November 1995 execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders. He warned that the current month could witness a similar outcome if the alleged judicial conspiracy is allowed to stand.
“This is no longer a trial in pursuit of justice; it is a test of Nigeria’s collective conscience,” he said, adding that the country stands at a critical crossroads three decades after the Saro-Wiwa tragedy.
The development comes as Justice Omotosho recently gave Kanu until November 5th to open his defence or risk forfeiting his right to do so. Kanu, however, has insisted he will not mount a defence, arguing that no valid charges exist against him under Nigerian law and demanding his immediate release.
The judge has yet to deliver a ruling, but affirmed that all filings by Kanu would be considered and granted him time to seek legal advice, acknowledging his right to legal guidance since he is not a lawyer.
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