BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu Reportedly Declared ‘President’ Inside Sokoto Prison

• Inmates at the Sokoto Custodial Centre reportedly named detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as their “president” shortly after he arrived to begin serving his life sentence.

There was an unusual scene at the Sokoto Custodial Centre on Thursday after inmates reportedly proclaimed the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as “their president.”

The dramatic development followed his recent transfer from Abuja to the Sokoto facility, days after Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment on multiple terrorism-related charges.

Kanu’s arrival triggered excitement within the prison, with several inmates rushing toward the reception block as officers escorted him into the facility. According to officials familiar with the incident, prisoners began chanting his name before informally declaring him the “Prison President,” a title that quickly spread across the compound.

Sources said many inmates appeared eager to meet him, with some pushing forward to shake his hand while others watched the commotion unfold from a distance.

A senior correctional officer, who spoke anonymously due to protocol restrictions, confirmed that Kanu’s presence has already altered the atmosphere inside the custodial centre. He revealed that the IPOB leader now engages inmates in lengthy discussions on justice, governance, and national issues.

According to the officer, prisoners—many of whom were previously uninterested in political matters—now sit quietly whenever Kanu speaks. His confident tone, he noted, appears to command unusual respect among the inmate population.

The change in behaviour has reportedly shifted the general mood within the facility, with some inmates viewing him as a symbol of defiance.

Kanu had been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for several years, facing charges bordering on secessionist activities, alleged attacks on security personnel, destruction of public property, membership of a proscribed organisation, and the importation of communication equipment.

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His relocation to Sokoto marks the beginning of his long-term imprisonment as ordered by the court.

In a related development, VerseNews earlier reported that the IPOB leader was convicted on all seven counts of terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment before being transferred from DSS custody to the Sokoto Custodial Centre.