The Archbishop, Special Duties, At-Large, Most Rev. Dr Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, has appealed to residents of Abia State and Nigerians at large to remain calm following the Federal High Court judgment which, on Thursday, sentenced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
Onuoha made the plea in a statement personally signed by him on Saturday.
He warned that Nigeria was “sitting on a precarious precipice”, adding that only dialogue, compromise and a peaceful disposition could avert further tension.
According to him, those aggrieved should avoid taking the law into their own hands, noting that various leaders had already offered recommendations aimed at ensuring lasting peace.
He insisted that several remedial options were still open to address what he described as “this legal charade and glaring injustice”.
The cleric argued that both the full application of the law and political interventions engineered by the executive arm remained viable pathways.
He cautioned against any form of chaos, saying peace agreements, negotiations and coordinated political processes could achieve the desired outcome without worsening tensions.
Onuoha also warned that crises of this nature often attract bad actors seeking to exploit public emotions for destructive motives.
Quoting from John 14:27, he urged Nigerians not to be troubled or afraid, assuring them that peace remained possible even in difficult times.
Background
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment.
The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence on counts one, two, four, five, and six, opting for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
The judge also handed Kanu a 20-year jail term on count three, with no option of fine, and a five-year jail term on count seven, with no option of fine.
Justice Omotosho delivered the judgment after convicting Kanu on all seven counts of terrorism offences.
The seven counts against Kanu relate to his secessionist agitations, acts of terrorism, membership of a proscribed group, killing of security operatives, destruction of public property, concealment, and the importation of an unregistered radio transmitter.
For count three, concerning his membership of a proscribed terrorist group, Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to 20 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
On count seven, which involved the unlawful importation of a radio transmitter for the purpose of broadcasting activities via Radio Biafra, Justice Omotosho sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.