Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticized the Federal High Court, Abuja, for sentencing Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment. The judgement was delivered by Justice James Omotosho.

Eze argued that the court had no reason to proceed with the judgment while an appeal concerning jurisdiction and Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria was still pending. He described the ruling as contrary to established legal practices.

The APC chieftain, a former Publicity Secretary of the now-defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), further claimed that Justice Omotosho erred by refusing to acknowledge Kanu’s final written address, which many believed would have addressed anomalies in the trial.

On the day of the judgment, Kanu was reportedly denied the opportunity to make final comments and was escorted out of court before the verdict was read in his absence.

Eze cited Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing, insisting that this constitutional provision was grossly violated. He described the conviction as a travesty of justice and a corruption of law.

He also drew attention to the sentencing of Boko Haram co-founder Mamman Nur, who received only a five-year term despite being linked to the deaths of 2,000 citizens, highlighting what he called inconsistent treatment of terrorism cases.

Eze condemned the ongoing violence by Islamist terrorist groups, noting the government’s insufficient efforts to control the menace.

He called for calm, expressing confidence that Nnamdi Kanu would regain his freedom. “His trial, conviction, and sentence clearly violated Nigerian laws and relevant international human rights instruments,” he stated.