The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been transferred from the Department of State Services (DSS) detention facility in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto, according to his former lawyer and consultant, Aloy Ejimakor.
Ejimakor, in a post on X on Friday, raised concern over the relocation, saying the move places Kanu far from his legal team, family members, and supporters.
“While urging Ndigbo to remain calm, I must question the wisdom of sending MNK to Sokoto prison,” he wrote. “When Awolowo was convicted in 1963, he was sent to the East, a neutral zone in his feud with the North. President Tinubu can still halt this drift.”
The Telegraph has not independently confirmed the transfer as of Friday evening.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 and charged with treasonable felony, terrorism, and related offences over his leadership of IPOB, which was proscribed by the Nigerian government. After jumping bail and fleeing the country, he was arrested and extradited from Kenya in 2021.
On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment on seven terrorism-related charges. Justice James Omotosho imposed life terms on five counts, 20 years on one count, and five years on another, without any option of fine.
The court also noted that detaining Kanu in Kuje Correctional Centre could pose security risks, suggesting the need for a more secure facility.
Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Federal Government, welcomed the judgment, saying it sends a clear message that “no one is above the law.”
