There comes a time in one’s life when the truth ought and must be spoken regardless of the consequences. Such a time is now.
The moment the government’s so-called star witness who was clearly masked, PW-BBB, testified under cross-examination—“I am not aware [that I’m masked]”—the entire trial against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu descended into tragicomedy. That single absurd exchange, captured by seasoned advocate Paul Erokoro SAN for Kanu’s defense team, encapsulates the emptiness and performative nature of a politically motivated case that should never have seen the light of a courtroom.
This trial is not about justice. It is not about terrorism. It is not even about national security. It is a continuation of an ethnic and political vendetta—an extension of the Biafra-Nigeria war by other means.
While other ethnic nationalities pursuing self-determination roam free, only the IPOB leader remains in unlawful detention. While other groups have created vigilante formations in line with calls by respected patriots like General T.Y. Danjuma and SSS DG Oluwatosin Ajayi, only IPOB is criminalised. The double standard is not just stark—it is dangerous.
The charge sheet lacks evidence, the witnesses lack credibility, and the prosecution lacks shame. Despite the clear exoneration of IPOB and Mazi Kanu from any wrongdoing in the EndSARS panel findings, certain vested interests continue to recycle tired narratives in court, clinging to an agenda soaked in prejudice.
This is not about law—it’s about hatred. Hatred targeted at the Igbo people. The persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the latest chapter in a ten-year campaign marked by bloodshed, military raids, and systemic repression in Biafraland. Now, with the baton seemingly passed to certain Yoruba elites eager to play their part in this injustice, it is clear that Nigeria is on a collision course with itself.
The much loved and respected elder statesman Pa Ayo Adebanjo of blessed memory will be turning in his grave to know that Kanu has passed from Fulani president, Fulani Attorney General of the Federation, Fulani prosecutor, Fulani SSS DG and Fulani judge to Yoruba president, Yoruba Attorney General of the Federation, Yoruba prosecutor, Yoruba SSS DG to a Yoruba judge. This does not take away the fact that Justice Omotosho is a man of the law. Those privileged to read his judgments can attest to this fact. The world is watching to see if he would tow the line of the law or succumb to politically expedient judgment as others have done in this case.
The irony is rich and bitter: the South fought for Nigeria’s independence, yet today it is painted as the enemy. The Fulani establishment—who resisted that very independence—is now demanding national loyalty and unity on their own terms.
This trial is not just a legal embarrassment—it is a moral failure and a constitutional crisis. If it continues on this path, it may well become the spark that exposes the deep fractures and unresolved tensions that Nigeria can no longer afford to ignore. If justice remains elusive for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, then it is Nigeria’s very survival that stands trial.
Barrister Christopher Chidera is an Abuja-based Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate
