A legal practitioner and human rights activist, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has criticised the decision of the Katsina State Government to grant freedom to 70 suspected bandits, warning that the move could fuel bloodshed and deepen Nigeria’s security crisis.
Ejiofor, who is counsel to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, described the development as “an inversion of justice, morality and sovereignty.” In a statement issued in Abuja, he argued that negotiating with terrorists and releasing them under a so-called peace accord amounts to rewarding violence and institutionalising insecurity.
According to him, the release sends a dangerous signal that “arms, bloodshed and lawlessness have now become viable bargaining instruments in dealings with the Nigerian state,” warning that such a policy trajectory could ignite further instability across the North and the country at large.
Ejiofor questioned whether the action enjoyed the tacit approval of the Federal Government and national security agencies, insisting that Nigerians deserve a clear and constitutionally grounded explanation. He warned that the absence of an unequivocal repudiation by federal authorities creates the impression of official acquiescence.
He contrasted the alleged freedom granted to armed bandits with what he described as the continued unlawful detention of innocent citizens, particularly from the South-East, many of whom he said have been held for years without trial. Ejiofor cited the reported death of a detainee, Mrs. Calista Ifedi, while in custody, as emblematic of what he called a cruel irony in Nigeria’s justice and security architecture.
The lawyer called on South-East governors and political leaders to prioritise the plight of detained kinsmen over 2027 re-election calculations, urging them to demand accountability and due process. He stressed that where culpability is established, prosecution should follow openly and transparently in a court of law.
Warning of broader implications, Ejiofor said a state that negotiates with terrorists from a position of fear rather than authority risks surrendering its sovereignty. He cautioned that appeasement of terror historically emboldens violent groups and could ultimately see them assume de facto control over territories if unchecked.
Friday Olokor
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