Lolo Uchechi Okwu Kanu Faults Omotosho’s Ruling on Nnamdi Kanu, Says Judgment “Built on Contradictions and Injustice”

Abuja, Nigeria – December 12, 2025

In a social media post titled “Nnamdi Kanu’s Case: A Conviction Built on Legal Contradictions,” Uchechi Okwu Kanu has sharply criticised the judgment delivered against the illegally detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho, describing the ruling as “a legal contradiction that exposes the injustice at the heart of his prosecution.”

“How do you convict someone when you misunderstand the law?” she asked in the statement, which has since gone viral.

Uchechi Kanu questioned how a court could affirm her husband’s right to self-determination under international law, only to dismiss it on the claim that it “cannot override the Nigerian Constitution.”

Citing the court’s own words, she noted: “In the judgment delivered against Nnamdi Kanu, the court stated that he has a right to self-determination under international law, but that this right ‘cannot override the Nigerian Constitution.’”

She argued that this position potrays “a fundamental misunderstanding of international law,” emphasising that self-determination is a jus cogens principle that no domestic constitution can supersede.

“Every law student, every human rights lawyer, and every scholar of international jurisprudence understands that no domestic constitution can override Kanu’s right,” she maintained.

“So how can a court acknowledge the right… and then deny it in the same breath?” she asked, echoing the concerns of legal observers who say the government’s conduct demonstrates a strategy of political containment rather than lawful prosecution.

Her post has sparked wide-ranging public reactions, with many critics linking the contradiction to what they describe as a longstanding pattern of political and judicial repression in Nigeria.

Justice Omotosho’s November 20 judgment sentencing Kanu to life imprisonment sent shockwaves across the world, with observers calling it “a dangerous blow to justice.”

There is a widespread concern that since Kanu’s extraordinary rendition in 2021 and subsequent detention, the Nigerian government has used the courts and the DSS to obstruct due process and delay justice.

Multiple international and local court orders in Kanu’s favour, including those granting him medical access and the Court of Appeal ruling that discharged him, have been ignored or overridden.

Activist Omoyele Sowore has previously exposed a coordinated effort to silence Kanu through prolonged detention and selective prosecution, stating the state’s intention was to “secure a death sentence.”

Similarly, Right Reverend Dr. Ike Egbeonu condemned the “dehumanizing” conditions under which Kanu is being subjected to, saying there is total disregard for his deteriorating health conditions despite multiple warnings from doctors, lawyers and family members.

Critics argue that the government’s approach reveals a reliance not on evidence but on intimidation. By sustaining charges built on what they describe as legal inconsistency, the federal authorities are sending a message that fundamental rights can be acknowledged yet suspended whenever they desire.

Uchechi Kanu concluded that the judgment is “not just a judicial error, but a failure of legal reasoning,” insisting that it raises serious questions about the fairness of her husband’s prosecution.

Her remarks have further amplified global scrutiny of the widening gap between Nigeria’s constitutional promises and its actual commitment to the rule of law.