Kanu’s life sentence is life imprisonment for every Igbo man – Okolo

Chief Johnson Okolo, President of the Osakwe Industrial Cluster in Awada near Onitsha, has condemned the life imprisonment sentence handed to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing it as a symbolic life sentence for every Igbo man in Nigeria and across the world.

Okolo, who said he was not surprised by the ruling of Justice John Omotosho, argued that the judgment reflects a continuation of hostility against the Igbo, likening it to a post-Biafra Civil War oppression.

“IPOB means Indigenous People of Biafra, and as an Igbo man, I am a Biafran. Every Igbo man, including governors and politicians, has been sentenced today. Nobody in Igbo land is free; even those overseas are affected. From this judgment, we are all, symbolically, serving life imprisonment,” Okolo said.

He added that the government under President Bola Tinubu, together with Justice Omotosho, a Yoruba man, had achieved what no previous administration or judge dared to do, asserting that the ruling continues the legacy of discrimination against the Igbo in Lagos and other parts of the country.

“Those who think they are free today may find themselves imprisoned tomorrow. IPOB is not a terrorist organization. By virtue of being Igbo, you are considered a Biafran and, therefore, a member of IPOB. So, Kanu’s sentence affects all of us,” he stated.

Okolo emphasized that the ruling marks a historic and unprecedented targeting of the Igbo, asserting that it surpasses the impact of the original Biafra Civil War in terms of oppression.

“Even during the civil war, there was no victimization on this scale. Today, Tinubu and Omotosho have realized what no government or judge has achieved — a symbolic life sentence for every Igbo man,” he concluded.