Barely 24 hours after his conviction for terrorism, the Federal Government has transferred the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Nigerian Custodial Centre in Sokoto.
The relocation, confirmed by Kanu’s legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, removes the high-profile convict from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, where he had been held since his extradition in 2021.
The move comes immediately after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered judgement on Thursday, sentencing Kanu to life imprisonment on a seven-count charge of terrorism.
In his ruling, the Judge had affirmed the government’s authority to transfer the convict to any correctional facility within the country, specifically ordering that Kanu be moved to a “protective prison.” The court ruled that the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja was unsuitable due to security risks, including past prison breaches.
While the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that Kanu is now in their custody, they declined to disclose his exact location publicly, citing the sensitive nature of the matter. However, Mr. Ejimakor and Kanu’s wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, confirmed the Sokoto destination.
The transfer to the Sokoto facility, located in the far North-West of the country, was immediately condemned by Kanu’s legal team due to the significant distance from his lawyers and family.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has just been moved from DSS Abuja to the correctional facility (prison) in Sokoto; so far away from his lawyers, family, loved ones and well-wishers,” Ejimakor wrote in a post on his X handle on Friday.
Ejimakor publicly questioned the “wisdom” of sending Kanu to such a remote location, arguing that the transfer frustrates the appeal process, as the IPOB leader is now far from his legal team who are preparing to challenge the conviction. The lawyer urged the Igbo community to remain calm following the development.
The transfer signals the beginning of Kanu’s life sentence and complies with the court’s directive to move the convict out of the DSS facility and into a secure correctional centre.
