by Chima Ezuo S. (Africa Voice of Conscience)
Since 2021, Nigeria has continued to hold Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in detention after his unlawful rendition from Kenya — an act that has been widely condemned as a breach of international law. This singular event alone exposes the deep cracks in Nigeria’s democracy, its judiciary, and its so-called commitment to the rule of law.
Kanu was abducted in Kenya and transferred to Nigeria without due process, an action tantamount to state-sponsored kidnapping. Ironically, this is the same Nigerian government that has opened its doors to dialogue with bandits and Boko Haram terrorists — groups that have orchestrated mass killings, displaced thousands into IDP camps, and made large swathes of the country ungovernable. While murderers and terrorists are coddled under the guise of “peace deals,” an agitator whose only crime is demanding a referendum for his people is subjected to prolonged detention.
This hypocrisy lays bare the corruption and injustice entrenched in the Nigerian state. A Nigerian appellate court once acquitted Nnamdi Kanu, ruling that his arrest and detention were illegal. Yet, in a display of executive rascality, the government chose to ignore the judgment, undermining the very foundation of Nigeria’s judicial system. When court rulings can be brazenly disregarded by those in power, can Nigeria still claim to be a nation governed by laws rather than by men?
Even the Kenyan government has recently admitted fault in its role in Kanu’s abduction. One would expect that such an admission would stir a sense of conscience within the Nigerian leadership. Instead, silence and oppression continue to dominate the state’s posture, further reinforcing the perception that this is no longer prosecution but persecution.
The bigger question remains: Where are Nigeria’s leaders, particularly Igbo governors and elder statesmen? Why has there been such deafening silence from those who should stand up for justice, fairness, and equity? Kanu’s continued detention is not just an attack on one man; it is an affront to the fundamental rights of an entire people who feel marginalized in the Nigerian federation. Their silence only emboldens the oppressors and deepens the wounds of alienation.
Nigeria cannot continue to claim the title “Giant of Africa” while it wallows in corruption, injustice, and a blatant disregard for human rights. Great nations are built on principles of justice, equality, and adherence to the rule of law — not selective oppression and ethnic bias. By keeping Kanu in detention unlawfully, Nigeria projects to the world that it is a state where power supersedes justice, and where law exists only when it serves the whims of those in authority.
The world is watching. The Nigerian government must be reminded that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. History will not forget how a government chose to pamper terrorists while oppressing a man whose demand was for the right to self-determination — a right enshrined in international law.
Let every voice of conscience speak out. The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is not only a violation of his rights but also a stain on Nigeria’s fragile democracy. Justice delayed is justice denied.
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