Human rights lawyer Maxwell Opara says the persistent sit-at-home actions across the South-East will only end if the Court of Appeal overturns the Federal High Court judgment sentencing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment. He described Thursday’s ruling by Justice James Omotosho as alarming and counterproductive.
Opara argued that instead of treating Kanu’s agitation like terrorism, the government should have engaged him in dialogue to understand the root issues fueling separatist sentiments. According to him, an open conversation would have provided an opportunity to address long-standing grievances and reduce tensions.
He maintained that Kanu’s continued incarceration will escalate unrest, warning that branding him a terrorist only deepens public resentment. Opara insisted that setting aside the judgment remains the most realistic path to restoring peace and ending the disruptive sit-at-home order.