Heavy Security at Sokoto Prison as Nnamdi Kanu Arrives After Life Sentence

• Security has been heightened at the Sokoto Custodial Centre following the transfer of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism-related charges.

Security has been tightened at the Sokoto Custodial Centre following the transfer of the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the facility.

Kanu was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja after being convicted on terrorism and related charges.

In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho ordered that Kanu be taken to a “protective prison,” noting that the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja was unsuitable due to past prison breaks and associated security risks.

On Friday, Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, alleged that his client had been moved to Sokoto. He argued that the transfer placed Kanu far from his legal team, family, and supporters, and urged Ndigbo to remain calm.

Although officials of the Sokoto Custodial Centre declined to confirm his arrival, eyewitnesses reported unusual security activity around the prison. Armed personnel were stationed at strategic points within and outside the facility, while a truckload of soldiers drove into the premises—an uncommon development, according to nearby residents.

One resident, who spoke anonymously, said, “We saw soldiers entering in trucks this evening. The security here has never been this tight.”

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Jane Osuji, confirmed that Kanu was in their custody but declined to disclose his exact location, citing the sensitive nature of the matter.

Wife, Sowore Confirm Transfer

Kanu’s wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, confirmed on her X handle that her husband had arrived at the Sokoto prison.
“Information reaching me about three hours ago is that my husband has arrived at Sokoto prison,” she wrote, while criticising some supporters for publicising the development before notifying her directly.

Activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, also stated that the government had “secretly” moved Kanu to Sokoto, alleging that the relocation exposed him to danger.

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Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, appealed for calm, describing the development as unexpected. She urged Nigerians, especially those from the South-East, to avoid actions that could inflame tensions.
“This is not the outcome we anticipated nor prayed for, but a reality now upon us… There is utmost need for restraint,” she wrote.

She added that resolving the situation would require engagement involving political, religious, and traditional leaders from the region.

Ohanaeze, MASSOB Reject Life Sentence

Igbo socio-cultural groups and pro-Biafra organisations, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo National Council, and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), have rejected the life sentence handed to Kanu, describing it as selective justice.

Ohanaeze, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, said the judgment was “a blow to justice” and warned it could further destabilise the South-East. President-General John Azuta-Mbata called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and pursue a political solution.

The group argued that Kanu’s continued detention had become a catalyst for insecurity and youth radicalisation in the region.

Similarly, the President of the Igbo National Council, Chilos Godsent, claimed the judgment was part of an “ethno-political war” against the Igbo and urged the President to grant Kanu a presidential pardon.

The Ohanaeze Youth Wing also rejected the sentence, describing it as an assault on justice and accusing the government of selective persecution.

MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, likewise rejected the ruling, calling it politically motivated.

Kanu, first arrested in 2015 on charges including treasonable felony, was re-arrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria in 2021.