Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and former presidential hopeful, has said he believes President Bola Tinubu will one day visit Nnamdi Kanu in prison, just as the judge who sentenced him will eventually apologize for the life sentence handed down on terrorism charges.
Speaking in an interview, Sowore questioned the strength of the evidence used to convict Kanu. He argued that the materials presented in court, such as a radio transmitter, microphone, and handwritten notes did not justify a life sentence, especially in the absence of any weapons or direct links to violent acts.
Sowore said he has not personally visited Kanu at the Sokoto prison but has stayed in touch with him through trusted contacts. He also recalled how his role in organizing a protest demanding Kanu’s release led to his own brief detention in Kuje Prison.
He criticized political leaders from the South East for not acting sooner, saying they only began to show concern when the weight of Kanu’s sentence started to reflect poorly on them. He pointed to Governor Alex Otti’s recent visit to Sokoto as an example of this late response.
Drawing a parallel with the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Sowore recalled how the judge who sentenced Fela later traveled to apologize in person. He believes a similar situation will unfold with Kanu.
In his words, “The judge is still going to go there and visit and apologize and confess. It happened to Fela. The judge who sentenced him, when Fela was jailed, he was sent to Maiduguri, Bama prison.”
“The judge drove there to go and apologize from Lagos to wherever he was. Tinubu will still visit Nnamdi Kanu in prison. What we told them, this was unnecessary.”
Sowore also said the government missed a chance to avoid public backlash by not releasing Kanu unconditionally on November 20. He maintained that the case lacks solid proof, especially the claim that Kanu ordered the killing of Ahmed Gulak while in custody.
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