Justice Omotosho’s conviction of Nnamdi Kanu haunting Nigeria’s judiciary – Lawyer

Lawyer Onyedikachi Ifedi has criticized the conviction of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu by Justice James Omotosho, stating that it is tarnishing Nigeria's judiciary. Ifedi, a member of the Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Global Legal Consortium, argued that the conviction was based on a repealed law, which he believes is not a valid legal basis. He accused the Nigerian government of rushing to convict Kanu to avoid accountability, as they know their conviction would not stand up to legal scrutiny.

Ifedi questioned whether the irregularities in the conviction were due to ignorance or malice, suggesting that the judge's failure to distinguish between a savings clause and a penal statute indicates incompetence. He warned that the implications of the conviction threaten the foundation of the Nigerian legal system, with the appellate courts facing three options: uphold the conviction, which would defy the Constitution; quash the conviction, which would be a humiliation; or find a loophole, which would be an act of judicial acrobatics.

Ifedi concluded that the conviction is a judicial crime, and the perpetrators will be held accountable, either in this life or in the court of history.