Igbokwe Slams ‘Legal Scammers’ Exploiting Kanu

The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has allegedly morphed from a legal struggle into a lucrative enterprise for unscrupulous individuals, according to Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Republic (APC). In a blunt assessment shared via his social media on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the Lagos-based politician claimed that a network of “charge and bail” lawyers, fraudulent activists, and digital opportunists are “cashing out” on the misery of the separatist leader.

Igbokwe’s remarks follow a seismic shift in the Biafran agitation that began on November 20, 2025, when the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment. The IPOB leader was convicted on seven counts of terrorism, a verdict that saw him transferred from the DSS headquarters to the Sokoto Correctional Centre. This distance—over 700 kilometers from his legal base—has created a vacuum that Igbokwe insists is being filled by “unrepentant scammers.”

The APC chieftain alleged that many who publicly clamor for Kanu’s release are privately profiting from the crisis. He pointed to certain lawyers who continue to file repetitive motions and solicit funds for legal battles they know are uphill, alongside content creators who use Kanu’s name as “clickbait” to generate revenue. To Igbokwe, the struggle for Biafran self-determination has been overtaken by “IPOB fraudsters” who view the inmate in Sokoto as a permanent business asset rather than a cause.

Beyond the controversy surrounding the South East, Igbokwe has also stepped into the brewing storm over the 2027 general elections. He directed a sharp rebuttal at the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently suggested that the APC’s reign might crumble at the next polls. Speaking at a high-profile dialogue in Abuja, El-Rufai hinted that the current administration might face a “term-limit” imposed by an unsatisfied electorate.

Igbokwe dismissed this “permutation” as impossible. He argued that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently fixing Nigeria in a way never seen before. In a detailed defense, he listed several factors he believes make a Tinubu victory in 2027 inevitable. He described the President as a “financial guru” and a “bean counter” who has spent two decades preparing for the presidency, asserting that Tinubu’s deep background in governance sets him apart from past leaders.

The APC chieftain further emphasized Tinubu’s role as a “leader of leaders,” noting that the President has built more political bridges across Nigeria than any contemporary figure. He credited Tinubu with creating the institutional blueprints in Lagos—such as various state agencies and revenue models—that are now being emulated across the federation. According to Igbokwe, this track record of “monumental bridge-building” ensures that the President remains the most cerebral and prepared candidate for the future.

While the political rhetoric heats up in Lagos and Abuja, the man at the center of the first controversy remains in the far north. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team recently failed in an attempt to have him moved from the Sokoto prison back to a facility in the Federal Capital Territory or Nasarawa State. The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, refused the transfer request on January 27, 2026, after noting that the government and correctional services needed to be formally put on notice.

As the legal saga continues, the South East remains on edge, with traditional rulers and local leaders calling for a “political solution” to heal the nation’s wounds. However, if Joe Igbokwe’s assessment is correct, the path to such a solution is being blocked by a “business class” of agitators who find more value in Kanu’s incarceration than in his freedom. The clash between Igbokwe’s optimism for the 2027 ticket and the grim reality of the South East security crisis sets the stage for a high-stakes political season.