Breaking: Nnamdi Kanu Reportedly Transferred to Sokoto Prison
- The federal government has reportedly transferred the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to a correctional facility in Sokoto state, according to his legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor
- Kanu was moved from the DSS detention facility in Abuja, less than 24 hours after he was handed a life sentence by the Abuja federal high court
- Ejimakor, in a post shared on X, disclosed the development, stating that the relocation would further distance Kanu from his family members and legal team
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering judicial matters in Nigeria and Africa.
Sokoto, Sokoto state - 24 hours after his life imprisonment sentence, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been reportedly moved from the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja to the correctional facility in Sokoto state.
This is according to one of his lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor, who shared the update via a terse statement on Friday, November 21.
Source: Facebook
DSS moves Nnamdi Kanu to Sokoto
The Cable also noted the development.
Legit.ng gathered that on Friday, November 21, Kanu's legal representatives went to the DSS headquarters to meet him, only to be told that the convicted 58-year-old separatist leader had been relocated to "a secure and protected location" at the Sokoto State Correctional Facility.
Ejimakor wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account:
"Breaking: 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 wellwishers."
In another post, Ejimakor questioned the wisdom behind sending the IPOB leader to Sokoto prison.
The legal practitioner urged President Bola Tinubu to "halt this drift".
Ejimakor tweeted:
"While urging #Ndigbo to remain calm, I must question the wisdom of sending MNK (referring to Kanu) to Sokoto prison. When Obafemi Awolowo was convicted in 1963, he was sent to the East, a neutral zone in his feud with the North. Pres. Tinubu can still halt this drift."
Nigerian authorities have yet to officially confirm the purported transfer.
Legit.ng recalls that the federal high court, Abuja, on Thursday, November 20, convicted Kanu on all seven terrorism-related charges at the end of a yearslong trial that has inflamed tensions in the country’s southeast region.
Source: Twitter
Judge James Omotosho said prosecutors, who have called for Kanu to be sentenced to death, proved that his broadcasts and orders to his group, IPOB, incited deadly attacks on security forces and citizens.
Kanu, a dual Nigerian-British citizen, first faced charges in 2015 and briefly secured bail in 2017 before fleeing the country.
Easterners react to Kanu's sentence
Meanwhile, Okoye Emmanuel, an Anambra resident, described Kanu’s conviction as a verdict "delivered with theatrical bravado, but rooted in selective justice". According to him, the judgment was likely to widen the rift it purports to heal.
Emmanuel opined that Justice Omotosho's decision would only deepen disillusionment for many in the south-east region already nursing historical grievances.
He told Legit.ng:
"What we saw on Thursday was not a courtroom proceeding, but a tragicomedy. It was justice blindfolded, somehow still peeks at political instructions. The judge plays the prosecutor while the gavel doubles as a weapon."
In Enugu, Benjamin Ukpai argued that the conviction of the IPOB leader was “very unfair.”
Ukpai expressed his belief that the ruling did not represent justice in the matter.
He told Legit.ng:
“We are angry. Honestly, when I heard of the conviction, I got angry.
“Even though I couldn’t do anything to change the situation. But I believe that the judgment shows that a common person cannot get justice in Nigeria’s courts. That judgment was predetermined."
Read more Nnamdi Kanu news:
- Cubana Chiefpriest warns Tinubu of fallout after Nnamdi Kanu’s sentence: “he can’t escape it”
- Nnamdi Kanu: Prince Eke predicts what will be done with IPOB leader before 2027: “see the script”
- Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu expresses optimism on Nnamdi Kanu’s release despite sentencing
- Nnamdi Kanu: Portable slams Cubana CP over open letter to Tinubu: “Who tell you say he go win?”
Kanu reacts to Omotosho’s decision
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Kanu said Justice James Omotosho's verdicts against him are "rubbish".
Kanu said the judgment is not based on law, but on sentiments.
Source: Legit.ng
