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Human rights lawyer, Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, has condemned the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government for applying double standards in its approach to justice in the case of Nnamdi Kanu, a political agitator and wanted bandit leaders.
Omirhobo condemned the continued detention and criminal trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Kanu by the Nigerian government while simultaneously entering into “peace agreements” with a bandit leader who was declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters with N5 million bounty.
In a statement released on Tuesday through his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on behalf of the Malcolm Omirhobo Foundation, the lawyer demanded immediate and unconditional release of Kanu and an end to his criminal trial.
“Free, Free, Free Nnamdi Kanu. FGN Must End Double Standards and Release Nnamdi Kanu Immediately,” Omirhobo wrote.
“We note with deep concern the recent reports that Isiya Kwashen Garwa—a notorious bandit leader declared wanted by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters in 2022 with a N5 million bounty, has now been approached with pleas to accept a peace deal in Katsina State.
“This development raises a fundamental question of fairness and justice.”
Omirhobo questioned, “Why is a confirmed criminal being courted for reconciliation, while Nnamdi Kanu, a mere political agitator and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), continues to languish in detention for years?”
He argued that the Nigerian government cannot justify what he described as “glaring double standards” by keeping Kanu whom he identified as a political agitator, in detention and behind the bars for years while pleading with wanted bandit leaders for peace.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot justify such glaring double standards. If a wanted bandit can be offered dialogue and freedom, then there is absolutely no moral or legal basis for keeping Nnamdi Kanu behind bars,” he stressed.
Omirhobo demanded Kanu’s unconditional release, stressing that his continued detention undermines the principles of fairness and national unity.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to forthwith release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.
“His continued detention undermines the principles of equity, justice, and national healing.
“Free Nnamdi Kanu. Free Nnamdi Kanu. Free Nnamdi Kanu.”
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, when he was re-arrested abroad and brought back to Nigeria to face charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement.
IPOB, which Kanu founded, is campaigning for the independence of a Biafran Nation, predominantly of the South-East region of Nigeria, a movement that has been outlawed by the Nigerian government.
Despite multiple court rulings ordering Kanu’s release, including a 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted him, the Nigerian Government has continued to keep him in detention, insisting that the charges against him are too grave to warrant release.
His prolonged incarceration has sparked repeated calls for justice from local and international rights groups, political leaders, and civil society organisations.
The controversy highlighted by Omirhobo followed reports from Katsina State, where government officials and community leaders on Sunday held a peace deal meeting with Isiya Kwashen Garwa, Ado Alero, and Babaro, notorious bandit commanders.
The meeting, organised to address escalating clashes between armed herders and farming communities, drew the participation of traditional rulers, community leaders, security representatives, and leaders of herder groups.
A video has shown the gathering where Alero and dozens of herders, many visibly carrying weapons and ammunition, were in attendance.
Babaro, who has long been on security watchlists, attended the dialogue despite being accused of leading the gruesome assault on the Mantau Mosque that left dozens injured.
Garwa, Alero and Babaro have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters for their terrorism activities including a series of attacks, killings and kidnappings in the northern region of Nigeria.
Particularly, Garwa was declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in 2022, with a N5 million bounty placed on his head for his involvement in killings, kidnappings, and other acts of terror across the North-West.
Banditry has ravaged several states in northern Nigeria for over a decade, leading to mass killings, abductions, displacement of communities, and severe economic disruption.
In the past, some state governments attempted dialogue and amnesty programs with bandits, but critics argued these moves embolden criminals rather than restore peace.
