Setting the Record Straight: A Rebuttal to Mike Arnold on Nnamdi Kanu

I am Emeka Ugwonye, Founder of Eculaw Group and counsel to Nnamdi Kanu in 2017. In this critique, I expose three core errors in Mike Arnold’s article: that Kanu was convicted “just for talking,” that he was tried under a repealed law, and that IPOB’s proscription was secret and unjust. Drawing on court judgments and well-documented evidence of violence linked to IPOB’s armed wing, I explain why the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act of 2013 still applied to Kanu’s actions between 2015 and 2021. I also clarify the legal process around IPOB’s proscription and the standard security reasons for Kanu’s detention in Sokoto. Finally, I challenge Arnold’s portrayal of this case as religious persecution, arguing that the state’s duty is to protect citizens when a leader incites deadly violence. This rebuttal calls for intellectual honesty and respect for the victims of secessionist violence.

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