Published on the Biafra Post
September 1, 2025
An Abuja-based human rights lawyer and member of the Nnamdi Kanu global defence team, Barrister Christopher Chidera, has taken strong exception to an opinion article written by a commentator, Olugbenga Adebamiwa, describing it as “propaganda” designed to mislead the public about the trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader.
The article, published by NewspotNG under the headline “From Finland to Nigeria: What Ekpa’s Conviction Teaches Us About Kanu and the Biafran Question,” compared the conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland with Kanu’s ongoing legal ordeal in Nigeria.
Chidera, however, rejected the comparison, insisting that it was a “hatchet job” and a deliberate attempt to prepare grounds for what he called a “judicial ambush” against Kanu.
He said in a statement obtained by THE WHISTLER on Monday that, “Let it be clear from the outset: this article is not journalism, it is propaganda—crafted to deceive the public and to prepare the ground for a judicial ambush against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ahead of his next court date.”
Ekpari, a self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister was on Monday convicted in Finland for terrorism-related activities.
IPOB had earlier distanced itself from Ekparima noting in a statement sent to THE WHISTLER that the Finland-based Nigerian had no connection with Nnamdi Kanu.
The lawyer argued that Ekpa’s conviction in Finland cannot be equated with Kanu’s case in Nigeria.
“Ekpa was tried in Finland under Finnish law, with due process, open evidence, and full access to lawyers. His conviction is his personal cross to bear,” Chidera noted.
He added that Kanu’s situation was fundamentally different, noting, “Kanu, by contrast, was a victim of extraordinary rendition—illegally abducted from Kenya and brought to Nigeria in clear violation of domestic and international law. To compare a lawful conviction abroad with an unlawful persecution at home is shameless falsehood.”
Chidera also dismissed Adebamiwa’s use of the phrase “allegedly renditioned,” stressing that Kanu’s forced transfer from Kenya had been legally and internationally recognised.
Post A Comment:
0 comments: