Human rights lawyer Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo has accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in its handling of terrorism-related cases, questioning why Nnamdi Kanu was convicted on what he described as circumstantial evidence while individuals allegedly financing terrorism remain unprosecuted.
In a statement released on Friday, Omirhobo said the government’s continued detention and conviction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader contrasts sharply with its failure to publicly disclose or prosecute persons identified by both Nigerian authorities and foreign partners as terrorism financiers.
He said security agencies have repeatedly stated that they possess intelligence, names, and financial trails linked to individuals bankrolling Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other armed groups but have not pursued criminal charges.
Omirhobo argued that Kanu, a citizen from the South-East, was arrested, extradited, denied bail, and convicted on evidence which the court acknowledged as largely circumstantial, while those accused of financing terrorism “walk free.”
He also questioned whether political connections or regional considerations are influencing the government’s approach to terrorism-related prosecutions.
According to him, unequal application of the law threatens national unity and undermines public confidence in the justice system.
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Omirhobo called on the Federal Government, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Ministry of Justice to publish the list of identified terrorism financiers, commence full criminal prosecution under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and explain the different standards of evidence applied in Kanu’s case.
He added that Nigeria cannot claim to be fighting terrorism while ignoring what he described as “hard intelligence” on suspected financiers.
Omirhobo said transparency, accountability, and equal enforcement of the law are necessary to protect public trust and strengthen the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.