Hypocrisy in Justice: Nigeria's Dialogue with Bandit Kingpins While Nnamdi Kanu Languishes in Detention Without Medical Care

Hypocrisy in Justice: Nigeria's Dialogue with Bandit Kingpins While Nnamdi Kanu Languishes in Detention Without Medical Care

In a nation plagued by insecurity, ethnic tensions, and cries for self-determination, the Nigerian government's recent actions reveal a glaring double standard that undermines the very fabric of justice and human rights. On one hand, officials in Katsina State have engaged in "peace deals" with notorious bandit leaders, including Isiya Kwashen Garwa, a wanted terrorist with a N5 million bounty on his head for orchestrating killings, kidnappings, and terror in the North-West. On the other, the federal government persists in the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), denying him even basic medical attention despite his deteriorating health. This selective approach to reconciliation and punishment not only exposes ethnic bias but also risks escalating Nigeria's fragile peace.

The Bandit "Peace Deal": Rewarding Terror with Dialogue

Just days ago, on September 14 and 15, 2025, community leaders and government representatives in Katsina State's Faskari Local Government Area hosted a so-called peace meeting with armed bandit commanders. Garwa, declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in 2022 for his role in a wave of atrocities, openly attended the dialogue in Hayin Gada, strapped with ammunition around his waist. Flanked by other kingpins like Ado Alero and Babaro equally accused of leading deadly assaults, including the Mantau Mosque attack, he positioned himself as an "advocate for dialogue." Videos from the event show these criminals engaging with locals and traditional rulers, vowing to end violence only if "injustices" against Fulani herders are addressed.

This is not isolated. Banditry has terrorized northern Nigeria for over a decade, displacing communities, crippling economies, and claiming countless lives. Past attempts at amnesty by state governments have been criticized for emboldening criminals rather than deterring them. Yet, here we are again, the government opting for negotiation over prosecution. Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported Garwa's "sudden posture" as a peace advocate, but skeptics, including controversial cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warn against provoking these groups implying a tacit acceptance of their power. 

Gumi even cautioned security forces against disrupting the fragile truce. Why the leniency? Critics argue it's a pragmatic, if desperate, response to the government's inability to curb the violence through force. But it sends a dangerous message: terrorism pays if you're in the right region. Garwa, linked to raids across Katsina and neighboring states, walks free to "talk peace" while his victims' families seek justice. This "deal" isn't reconciliation; it's capitulation, rewarding bloodshed with legitimacy.

Now let us talk about Nnamdi Kanu's Plight, Prolonged Detention and Medical Neglect

Contrast this with the treatment of Nnamdi Kanu, a British-Nigerian activist arrested in 2021 and held in solitary confinement by the Department of State Services (DSS) ever since. Kanu, who advocates for Biafran independence through nonviolent means like broadcasts on Radio Biafra, faces terrorism charges for alleged sit-at-home orders and incitement charges IPOB dismiss as politically motivated. His trial, ongoing under Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has dragged on for years, marked by procedural delays and jurisdictional disputes. The Court of Appeal discharged him in October 2022, ruling his rendition from Kenya unlawful and stripping the court of jurisdiction. 

Yet, the Supreme Court remitted the case back in December 2023, a decision IPOB called "judicial fraud." From October 2022 to December 2023, Kanu was detained without fresh charges a blatant violation of the Nigerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has deemed his imprisonment illegal, calling for his release and compensation. Even the UK government, of which Kanu is a citizen, has been accused by IPOB of complicity through silence. Worse still is the denial of medical care. 

As of September 2025, Kanu's health has plummeted. Recent examinations by a team led by Emeritus Professor Austin A.C. Agaji revealed liver and kidney complications, critically low potassium levels, and a suspicious armpit swelling that could indicate malignancy or infection. His brother, Emmanuel Kanu, deposed in a 14-page affidavit that Nnamdi has complained of persistent weakness and body pains. Doctors recommended immediate transfer to the National Hospital in Abuja, but the DSS has ignored their letter. On September 15, 2025, Justice Musa Liman deferred a motion for this transfer, citing jurisdictional issues during court vacation, and returned the file to the Chief Judge for reassignment, delaying potentially life-saving intervention. This isn't new. 

Kanu has a history of heart issues, hypertension, and an enlarged heart, with solitary confinement exacerbating his condition. His lawyers, including Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), argue that the DSS's refusal to allow private doctors access constitutes "state-sponsored suppression" and cruel treatment. IPOB media and publicity secretary Emma Powerful calls it a ploy to silence a "prisoner of conscience" whose Biafran advocacy threatens the status quo. In court, Kanu himself has pleaded, "I am dying in DSS custody," even lifting his shirt to show growths under his armpits.

The Double Standard: Ethnic Bias and Eroding Trust

Human rights lawyer Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo captured the hypocrisy perfectly: "The Nigerian government cannot justify such glaring double standards. If a wanted bandit can be offered dialogue and freedom, then there is absolutely no moral or legal basis for keeping Nnamdi Kanu behind bars." Why court reconciliation with Garwa, a confirmed criminal responsible for mass terror, while Kanu a political agitator languishes without trial or treatment? The answer lies in ethnicity: bandits operate in the Fulani-dominated North, where dialogue aligns with political expediency, while Kanu's led IPOB challenges the federation from the Eastern region.

This selective justice fuels division. Protests erupted across Biafra land upon Kanu's initial arrest in 2015, and his continued detention sparked international petitions to the US, UK, EU, and others. Kanu himself petitioned 20 foreign missions on August 22, 2025, demanding enforcement of prior court rulings and his release. Meanwhile, northern banditry "peace deals" risk normalizing crime, as past amnesties collapsed into renewed violence. The federal government's approach erodes public trust. 

A Call for Equity and Release

Nigeria cannot preach unity while practicing division. The government must release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally, as demanded by international bodies, and provide him immediate medical care. True peace requires consistent justice: prosecute bandits like Garwa, not dialogue with them as equals. Until then, these actions expose a regime more interested in suppression than reconciliation, dooming the nation to further fragmentation. The time for double standards is over. Release Kanu, heal the divides, and let justice be blind not biased by tribe or terror.