The convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been moved from the Department of State Services (DSS) detention facility in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto State.
The development was made public by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, who disclosed the transfer on his X handle.
Ejimakor wrote:
“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 well wishers.”
The relocation has triggered widespread concern among supporters who fear Kanu may be held in a facility that houses individuals linked to armed groups, many of whom are either awaiting trial or serving sentences. Sokoto, according to security reports, is a major hub for such detainees, and the prison reportedly contains very few inmates from the southern part of the country.
Kanu was recently sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted on all seven terrorism-related charges, marking the end of a legal battle that has dominated national discourse for nearly a decade and heightened tensions in the South-East.
In delivering the judgment, Justice James Omotosho said prosecutors proved that Kanu’s broadcasts and directives to the now-proscribed IPOB contributed to violent incidents targeting security personnel and civilians.
Kanu’s legal team is expected to challenge both the conviction and the circumstances surrounding his relocation in the coming days.
