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Leading a protest for Nnamdi Kanu’s release in Abuja on Monday, Barrister Kingdom Okere accused the Nigerian government of maintaining a discriminatory justice system that favours terror groups while treating certain ethnic communities as “second-class citizens.”
Okere condemned the continued detention of Kanu, alleging it was motivated by the fact that Kanu is an Igbo man, while, simultaneously, armed bandits and former insurgents receive preferential treatment.
“You can’t continue to hold Nnamdi Kalu because he’s an Igbo man. And you are pampering bandits; you are sponsoring bandits,” Okere claimed, insisting that all citizens must be treated equally under the law.
The lawyer highlighted instances of what he described as state leniency towards criminal groups, including the alleged recruitment of former Boko Haram members into the military and security services under the guise of a “non-kinetic approach” and the negotiation with armed bandits in Katsina State.
Okere claimed that in one instance in Katsina, fully armed bandits negotiated with various government security agencies—including the DSS, SSS, Army, and Police—and were allowed to drive away in convoy with their weapons, where they continue to terrorise communities.
He also referred to an alleged instance where a former governor, Aminu Bello Masari, visited bandits, and subsequently, one of their leaders was allegedly recruited and given a military rank.
Okere concluded by asserting the constitutional rights of Nigerians to protest and express themselves freely without intimidation, noting the police presence at their rally. “We will not be intimidated in this country,” he declared.
