Former Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has bemoaned the conviction and sentencing of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) for terrorism, saying that the outcome was foretold and not surprising.

Reacting through a statement by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, the Senator said that the life jail handed down to Kanu was a preconceived plot that is not surprising to the Igbo nation and other right thinking Nigerians.

Abaribe said that at the time the Federal Government refused to factor in pleadings to extend the amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu as done to some others, we knew that today’s outcome was imminent.’

“Is it not an irony that negotiations and peace deals with rampaging terrorists in the North East, North West were gleefully initiated by the Local government, States and Federal Government just like the amnesty to ex-militants in the South South, who were rewarded with lucrative oil pipeline contracts. This is to say that justice in Nigeria is not for the South East”, Abaribe said.

“So we are not surprised, our people can only endure and hope for a time justice in Nigeria would become the sine qua non. We have done our best , we have variously made the case for the authorities to be circumspect and at least accede to pardon for the sake of unity and inclusiveness,” the lawmaker said.

Senator Abaribe nonetheless declared that the Igbo nation is now left with no other option than to place her fate in this matter squarely on the desk of President Bola Tinubu.

“We ask the Igbo nation and other lovers of Nigeria to remain calm, pray and not take the law into their hands.

“May Nigeria succeed, thrive and advance in Justice, Equity and Fairness”, Abaribe added.