Security has been significantly tightened at the Sokoto Custodial Centre following the transfer of the convicted Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu, to the facility.
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday by the Federal High Court in Abuja after Justice James Omotosho found him guilty of terrorism-related offences.
The judge further ordered that he be moved to a “protective prison,” ruling that the Kuje Custodial Centre was no longer suitable due to previous jailbreaks and security vulnerabilities.
On Friday, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed that his client had been relocated to Sokoto, a move he criticised for distancing Kanu from his legal team, family members, and supporters. He urged Ndigbo to remain calm.
Although officials of the Sokoto Custodial Centre refused to confirm his arrival, Saturday PUNCH observed unusual security presence around the facility, with armed personnel positioned at strategic locations and a truckload of soldiers entering the premises, a rare sight, according to residents.
A resident, who spoke anonymously, said, “We saw soldiers entering in trucks this evening. The security here has never been this tight.”
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Jane Osuji, confirmed that Kanu remained in their custody but declined to reveal his exact location due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Kanu’s wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, later confirmed via her X page that her husband had been moved to the Sokoto prison, expressing displeasure that the information reached the public before her.
Activist Omoyele Sowore also alleged that the government “secretly” relocated Kanu, warning that the transfer exposed him to potential danger.
Any man born in Nigeria is full of trouble. It’s better not be born in this world at all than to be a Nigeria. Buhari started the journey of Nnamdi kanu and today he is inside hell fire . Baba is the next unless he let Nnamdi kanu go