FG Transfers Convicted IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu to Sokoto Prison, Lawyer Ejimakor Questions Move ‘So Far Away’ From Legal Team

In a swift and controversial move, the Federal Government today, Friday, November 21, 2025, transferred the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja to a correctional facility in Sokoto State.

The relocation occurred less than 24 hours after Kanu was sentenced to Life Imprisonment on all seven terrorism charges by the Federal High Court.

The development was confirmed by Kanu’s legal counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who took to social media to express deep concern and question the rationale behind the sudden transfer to a facility located hundreds of kilometres away from his legal team and family in the South East.

“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,” Ejimakor wrote.

Concerns Over Appeal Process and Safety

The move, which immediately sparked tension among his supporters, is viewed by Kanu’s legal team as a deliberate attempt to isolate him and complicate the process of filing his appeal, which he has a 90-day window to submit.

The family of the convicted leader went further, raising an alarm over his safety. They alleged that relocating him to a distant northern prison was a veiled plot to deny him access to his specialized personal physicians who manage his complex health conditions, thereby endangering his life.

The move, while legally permissible under the discretion granted by the court, is highly symbolic. The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, had ruled on Thursday that Kanu must be held in a suitable custodial facility, noting that Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja was not appropriate given his security risks and propensity for violence.

Ejimakor highlighted the historical precedent of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was moved to a “neutral zone” (the East) after his conviction in 1963, suggesting the Sokoto transfer lacks such political neutrality. He urged supporters to remain calm while the legal team prepares the appeal.