Social commentator and lawyer Dele Farotimi has spoken strongly about the life sentence given to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). During a live session on his YouTube channel, Farotimi questioned the fairness of the judgment and the way Nigeria handles different cases of crime and punishment.
Farotimi argued that justice should be the same for everyone, no matter their background, opinion, or the part of the country they come from. He compared Kanu’s sentence to the punishment given to some dangerous criminals, including an ISWAP commander who had taken many lives but received a lighter prison term. According to him, it makes no sense that someone accused mainly of making provocative statements is punished more heavily than people who have directly caused physical harm.
He also pointed out that some individuals involved in serious violence have been pardoned or even absorbed into the security forces after claiming they had “repented.” Farotimi said this kind of double standard destroys people’s trust in the justice system.
Although he made it clear that he may not fully agree with Kanu’s methods, he insisted that Kanu’s grievances—such as complaints about marginalization and poor governance—cannot simply be dismissed. He believes many of these issues are genuine and widely shared by others.
Farotimi said it is wrong for anyone to expect him to celebrate Kanu’s conviction when others who have committed worse crimes are treated softly.
In his words, “You cannot query the genuineness of his grievances, but you want me to celebrate his conviction, when those who have done worse are being treated like sacred cows.”
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