Abumchukwu N. Okoye, national coordinator of the Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI) and a legal practitioner, reacted to the conviction of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, by alleging that the development was part of a plan by northern interests to create tension between Igbo and Yoruba people so that the South-East would not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

When asked for his reaction to Kanu’s conviction, Okoye said there was nothing to celebrate about the terrorism judgment delivered by Justice Omotosho. He recalled that he had previously warned the Federal Government that the matter was political and should have been handled politically. According to him, it was an issue he described as “equity of the jungle,” where both sides should be treated equally.

He stressed that he was not focused on the judicial ruling itself, insisting that neither Justice Omotosho, Nnamdi Kanu, nor President Tinubu was the real problem. In his view, the issue is as a result of a weak executive arm of government.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is being set up. May be he doesn’t know, but he will know six months to the general election in 2027.

“The case of Nnamdi Kanu is now seen as a Yoruba against Igbo matter because throughout the 8 years reign of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the case was delayed as government did not do anything about the matter.”

Okoye explained that the judgment had provoked anger among the Igbo community, noting that no Igbo person was pleased with the outcome. He argued that the situation should never have been allowed to reach this stage if the previous administration had handled the matter promptly.

He claimed that certain individuals had conspired against the Igbo during Kanu’s rendition, alleging that Kanu was abducted and brought back to Nigeria under questionable circumstances.

According to him, the Department of State Services (DSS) then prolonged the trial unnecessarily, only to step aside later and leave the burden of resolving the issue to the current President, whom he said was now being forced to address what others had mishandled.