‘This Is A War Against Igbos’ – Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer, Alleges Political Bias In Trial

Human rights lawyer and member of the defence team, Barrister Maxwell Okpara, has accused the Federal Government of using the ongoing trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a tool of political persecution against the Igbo people.

Speaking to journalists after Thursday’s hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Okpara said the case goes beyond the individual and reflects “a broader pattern of bias, injustice, and ethnic profiling.”

“Let’s be honest, this is not just about Kanu. The Igbos are on trial. This is a war against the Igbos,” Okpara declared.

He decried the government’s handling of the case, comparing it with the government’s approach to bandits and terrorists in other parts of the country.

“The government negotiates with terrorists and armed bandits, but insists on persecuting someone who is simply exercising his constitutional rights to self-determination,” he said.

Okpara also questioned the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the matter, reminding the public that Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya violated international law.

“How can you abduct someone unlawfully from another country and still claim jurisdiction to try him? The same government that broke international conventions is now claiming to enforce domestic law, it is contradictory,” Okpara said.

He maintained that the trial has become a test case for justice, equity, and respect for human rights in Nigeria.

“If this continues, it will show the world that there are two laws in this country, one for others and another for the Igbos,” he concluded.