A public affairs analyst, Barrister Njoku Jude Njoku, has described the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as part of a long history of Nigeria’s suppression of dissenting voices, warning that his struggle could yet ignite a broader movement for national liberation.
In a thought-provoking piece titled “Nnamdi Kanu’s Struggle May Yet Give Birth to a National Liberation for All Nigerians,” Njoku traced a pattern of political persecution from colonial times to the present day, arguing that every generation of Nigerians who dared to challenge the establishment had faced imprisonment or exile.
“From Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe to Obafemi Awolowo and Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigeria’s history is filled with voices of conscience criminalized by powers allergic to truth. Nnamdi Kanu joins that long list — his only ‘crime’ being that he spoke through a microphone, not with a gun,” Njoku wrote.
He criticized what he called “the mind game of neo-colonial control,” accusing Nigeria’s ruling elite of perpetuating a British-designed system that rewards obedience and punishes independent thought.
“Those who rule Nigeria under the guise of national unity are often little more than stewards of a colonial estate,” he said, adding that Kanu’s calls for justice and self-determination threaten this structure of control.
Njoku described the government’s prosecution of Kanu as a “legal farce and a politics of fear.” He cited the Federal Government’s repeated disobedience of court orders for Kanu’s release and the October 8 adjournment of his case pending medical reports, as evidence of political manipulation.
Civil rights activist Omoyele Sowore has also condemned the situation, calling it a “judicial hostage crisis.”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar joined the call for Kanu’s release on October 9, describing his continued detention as “an open sore on our nation’s conscience and a stain on our belief in the rule of law.”
Atiku’s intervention, Njoku noted, has rekindled national debate and inspired plans for a #GreatMarchForMNK on October 20, which aims to unite Nigerians across regions in demanding justice.
“If this peaceful march succeeds, it may mark the beginning of a new chapter for Nigeria — where the struggle for justice transcends geography and ethnicity,” Njoku wrote.
He concluded that history may yet vindicate Kanu, just as it has vindicated other freedom fighters before him.
“Herbert Macaulay yesterday. Nnamdi Kanu today. The story is the same, and the history inescapable. Kanu will one day be celebrated, not condemned — because time, the greatest judge of all, always vindicates those who stand for truth.”
Njoku, writing from London, emphasized that Kanu’s struggle could evolve into a nationwide movement for justice and equity, symbolizing the rebirth of the Nigerian conscience.