After Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, was transferred to the Sokoto Custodial Center, security was increased. The Federal High Court in Abuja found Kanu guilty of terrorism and associated offenses on Thursday and sentenced him to life in prison. In his decision, Justice James Omotosho mandated that Kanu be transferred to a "protective prison," stating that the Kuje Custodial Center in Abuja was inappropriate because of previous prison escapes and related security threats.
Alloy Ejimakor, Kanu's attorney, said on Friday that his client had been relocated to Sokoto. He advised Ndigbo to maintain composure, claiming that the relocation put Kanu far from his family, fans, and legal team.
Residents in the area said that a truckload of troops drove into the jail, and armed guards were positioned at key locations both inside and outside the facility—an unusual event. "We saw soldiers entering in trucks this evening," claimed a local who wished to remain anonymous. There has never been more security here.
The Nigerian Correctional Service's spokesperson, Jane Osuji, acknowledged that Kanu was in their custody but refused to provide his precise whereabouts due to the delicate nature of the situation. Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, Kanu's wife, verified her husband's arrival at the Sokoto jail on her X account.
"My husband has arrived at Sokoto prison, according to information that reached me about three hours ago," she said, criticizing some fans for posting the news online before telling her. Omoyele Sowore, an activist and publisher, also said that Kanu had been "secretly" relocated to Sokoto by the government. He said that the move put him at risk.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, urged composure in the face of the unexpected event. This is not the result we hoped for or expected, but it is now a reality. Restraint is very necessary," she wrote. The minister went on to say that fixing the issue will need widespread participation from local political, religious, and traditional authorities.
Ohanaeze and MASSOB oppose a life sentence.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo National Council, and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra are among the Igbo socio-cultural and advocacy groups that have condemned Kanu's life sentence as selective justice.
In a statement, Ohanaeze's National Publicity Secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, called the ruling "a blow to justice" and cautioned that it would further destabilize the South-East. John Azuta-Mbata, the group's president-general, urged President Bola Tinubu to step in and seek a diplomatic solution.
Ohanaeze contended that the region's youth radicalization and instability had been sparked by Kanu's ongoing arrest.
In a similar vein, Chilos Godsent, President of the Igbo National Council, encouraged President Tinubu to pardon Kanu, claiming that the ruling was a part of a "ethno-political war" against the Igbo. Additionally, Chika Adiele, the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, accused the government of selective prosecution and called the sentencing an assault on justice.
Uchenna Madu, the head of MASSOB, also disapproved of the ruling, claiming it was influenced by politics.
Kanu was initially detained in 2015 on suspicion of treason. He was apprehended again in Kenya after escaping Nigeria, and he returned there in 2021.