Mary Akanbi
20th February, 2025
Maxwell Opara, a civil rights attorney, has called on the Nigerian government to rethink its position on the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a video released by Symfoni, Opara argued that dropping the charges against Kanu could help foster peace, especially in the Southeastern part of the country.
“We believe there is an opportunity for the government to withdraw the charges against Nnamdi Kanu in order to restore peace. Right now, no Court of Appeal is in session in the Southeast, and federal judges, including those from the National Industrial Court and Federal High Court, have halted proceedings due to threats from certain individuals who claim the judicial system lacks fairness,” he stated.
Commenting further, Opara said, “Although, as a lawyer, I cannot endorse everything Kanu has said, I try to understand his frustration.”
When questioned about Kanu’s use of inflammatory language, Opara clarified, “I do not approve of that because we, as lawyers, follow professional ethics. At one point, when we tried to reason with him, he told us to sit down, walk away, and stop representing him—so that was his choice.”
To watch the full video of Opara’s remarks on Kanu’s case, click the link below and begin at 01:17.
