Lawyer Condemns ‘Propaganda’ Article Linking Simon Ekpa To Nnamdi Kanu

An Abuja-based human rights lawyer and member of the Nnamdi Kanu global defence team, Barrister Christopher Chidera, has taken strong exception to an opinion article written by a commentator, Olugbenga Adebamiwa, describing it as “propaganda” designed to mislead the public about the trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader.

The article, published by NewspotNG under the headline “From Finland to Nigeria: What Ekpa’s Conviction Teaches Us About Kanu and the Biafran Question,” compared the conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland with Kanu’s ongoing legal ordeal in Nigeria.

Chidera, however, rejected the comparison, insisting that it was a “hatchet job” and a deliberate attempt to prepare grounds for what he called a “judicial ambush” against Kanu.

He said in a statement obtained by THE WHISTLER on Monday that, “Let it be clear from the outset: this article is not journalism, it is propaganda—crafted to deceive the public and to prepare the ground for a judicial ambush against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ahead of his next court date.”

Ekpari, a self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister was on Monday convicted in Finland for terrorism-related activities.

IPOB had earlier distanced itself from Ekpari noting in a statement sent to THE WHISTLER that the Finland-based Nigerian had no connection with Nnamdi Kanu.

The lawyer argued that Ekpa’s conviction in Finland cannot be equated with Kanu’s case in Nigeria.

“Ekpa was tried in Finland under Finnish law, with due process, open evidence, and full access to lawyers. His conviction is his personal cross to bear,” Chidera noted.

He added that Kanu’s situation was fundamentally different, noting, “Kanu, by contrast, was a victim of extraordinary rendition—illegally abducted from Kenya and brought to Nigeria in clear violation of domestic and international law. To compare a lawful conviction abroad with an unlawful persecution at home is shameless falsehood.”

Chidera also dismissed Adebamiwa’s use of the phrase “allegedly renditioned,” stressing that Kanu’s forced transfer from Kenya had been legally and internationally recognised.

“The Kenyan High Court, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and Nigeria’s own Court of Appeal have all confirmed that Kanu was kidnapped in Kenya and illegally transferred. For Adebamiwa to keep using the phrase ‘allegedly renditioned’ is not just sloppy—it is deliberate disinformation,” he said.

The human rights lawyer maintained that the Nigerian government has no credible case against Kanu.

“In Abuja, prosecution witnesses have hidden behind screens and fake codenames, yet still collapsed under cross-examination. None has linked Kanu to any act of violence,” Chidera explained.

“The so-called case against him is dead. What keeps it alive is political interference, not law.”

Chidera further accused certain ethnic interests of driving what he called “a coordinated propaganda campaign” against the Biafran cause.

He added that comparisons to historical cases were also misplaced, arguing that, “He should have properly referenced Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s treason case: Awolowo was tried within Nigeria’s jurisdiction, Kanu was abducted across borders in defiance of every known law. The two cannot be compared.”

According to Chidera, the Nigerian government is ignoring clear judicial and international rulings in its handling of Kanu’s case.

“The Court of Appeal has already discharged him. The Supreme Court in December 2023 did not overturn the finding that his rendition was unlawful. The UN has demanded his release,” the lawyer recalled.

He claimed the government’s continued prosecution was being sustained only through “propaganda and misinformation.

“The government’s strategy now is propaganda—hiring pens like Adebamiwa to condition the public into believing a lie,” he said.

Chidera demanded for the immediate release of the IPOB leader. “The law is clear. The judgment of the Court of Appeal must be obeyed. Free Nnamdi Kanu now,” he concluded.