A member of the Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Global Legal Consortium, Onyedikachi Ifedi, has described the conviction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader by Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Federal High Court as a “judicial crisis” that continues to haunt Nigeria’s legal system.

Speaking in Umuahia on Friday, Ifedi argued that Kanu’s conviction was based on a repealed law, warning that the ruling undermines the foundation of the country’s judiciary.

“The Nigerian judiciary and the Federal Government stand on the precipice of an indelible disgrace. The case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has laid bare a constitutional crisis so profound that it threatens the very foundation of the Nigerian legal system,” he said.

The lawyer insisted that the “savings clause” relied upon by the judge could not substitute for an extant penal statute, alleging that the government rushed to convict Kanu and is now avoiding accountability by failing to respond to his appeal.

He further suggested that the conviction reflected either “ignorance” or “judicial malice,” both of which, he said, erode public trust in the judiciary.

“A man was convicted under a law that did not exist. By a judge who knew it. In a system now running from its own courts. This is not justice. This is a judicial crime,” Ifedi declared.

The Okwu-Kanu family has also demanded the immediate hearing of Kanu’s appeal, citing prolonged delays in proceedings and alleging that the government has shown no willingness to join issues in court.

Observers warn that the case could expose Nigeria’s judiciary to global embarrassment if appellate courts uphold the conviction despite constitutional concerns.

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