On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered a judgment against the leader of the Indigenous Peo...
On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered a judgment against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a judgment that has left many Nigerians shaken, disillusioned, and deeply wounded.
To many observers, the decision felt less like a product of constitutional rigor and more like a symbol of a justice system bending beneath political weight. Whether one agrees with Nnamdi Kanu's methods or not, the overwhelming sentiment across communities is that Justice must never be selective, hurried, or contaminated by politics, especially in a nation already struggling with trust in its institutions.
The heartache surrounding this judgment comes from a painful perception that the court failed to uphold the constitutional guarantees that every Nigerian, even the most controversial among us, should enjoy.
Questions continue to echo across the country.
Were all due processes observed?
Were fundamental rights respected?
Was this judgment rooted in law or in a desire to appease powerful interests?
For many Nigerians, the answer feels tragically clear and profoundly disappointing. The sense of injustice is not born merely from sympathy for one man, but from fear that if constitutional fairness can be compromised for one individual, it can be compromised for anyone. This judgment has deepened the emotional wounds of the Southeast region, already burdened with years of political marginalization, ethnic suspicion, and unhealed national grievances. Many feel unheard, unseen, unprotected.
The Silent Persecution of Christians
Parallel to this judicial controversy lies another painful tragedy, one that has gone on for far too long. The relentless attacks on Christian communities across parts of Nigeria is saddening.
For over a decade, insurgent groups like Boko Haram and other armed factions have unleashed horrific violence on the entire Nation. Churches burned, Villages destroyed, Families torn apart, Children abducted, Communities displaced. These acts, whether one labels them persecution, targeted killings, or systematic violence, have created a deep humanitarian wound that has never been decisively addressed.
The Government's Cold Silence
What is perhaps most heartbreaking is not only the violence itself, but the muted response from those entrusted with the protection of all Nigerian citizens. There is a coldness that chills the soul, a silence that feels like abandonment. Communities cry out for security, but the response is often slow, insufficient, or apathetic. Victims bury their loved ones while waiting for Justice that never comes.
This silence from the Government leaves many wondering:
How can a government be quick and firm in cases involving political agitation, yet slow and faint in matters involving human lives and vulnerable communities? The contrast deepens distrust. It deepens pain. It deepens disappointment.
I write this not with anger, but with sorrow. With disappointment. With concern for a nation that seems to drift further from the ideals it proclaims, Justice, equality, unity and compassion. Nigeria has always had an issue we have chosen to ignore. Still, the events surrounding Nnamdi Kanu's judgment and the unaddressed violence against Christians reveal fractures that can no longer be ignored.
A nation cannot survive when Justice feels selective. A nation cannot thrive when some lives seem less valuable than others. A nation cannot heal when its leaders respond with silence rather than with action and empathy.
We are calling for Justice and freedom, peace and quiet; let what rightfully belongs to us be ours. We want a nation where farmers can go to their farms without the fear of being killed or having their crops damaged by terrorist herders.
We envision a nation where children can attend school without the fear of being kidnapped. A nation where Christians can go to church without the fear of being slaughtered, a nation that respects all people's religions. We seek a country where travelers feel safe, and the roads are peaceful. A nation that upholds the rule of law in its entirety.
We demand a nation that honours its commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to Self-Determination, which Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is advocating for, the right to a sovereign state of Biafra. Nigeria must act swiftly to release Nnamdi Kanu for lasting peace to prevail.
Until then, the disappointment felt on that black Thursday will continue to echo in the hearts of citizens, and we will not stop speaking or fighting for what we know is right.
Written By
Nwada Chinasa
Edited by
OGN
For Ebonyi State Media Team
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