Aloy Ejimakor, former counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has criticised the decision to relocate him from Abuja to the Sokoto Custodial Centre, warning that the move places significant obstacles in the way of his planned appeal.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Ejimakor described the relocation as “surprising” and “insensitive,” noting that it raises concerns about Kanu’s ability to prosecute his appeal from such a distant location.
“After the sentencing, I was surprised, and I think everybody else was surprised, that he was plucked from Abuja and taken to Sokoto, which is in the northernmost part of North-West Nigeria,” he said. “You will begin to wonder whether he can prosecute this appeal from Sokoto. You will ask how he can take the initial steps to file it.”
Kanu was transferred on Friday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), following Justice James Omotosho’s judgement convicting him on terrorism charges and sentencing him to life imprisonment.
A security source confirmed that the transfer aligned with the court’s directive for a secure facility.
Ejimakor argued that the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal lacks jurisdiction over Kanu’s case, insisting that Abuja remains the appropriate venue for subsequent legal processes.
He maintained that placing Kanu in Sokoto was an administrative decision by the Correctional Service, one which “perhaps did not consider these concerns” and ignored Kanu’s rights.
“Can Nnamdi Kanu effectively prosecute his appeal or even initiate it from that location in Sokoto? The answer is no,” he said. “If you check around Abuja, there are other prisons… Those facilities would have been better to ensure proximity to his relatives and legal consultants.”
He explained that filing an appeal involves several physical procedures such as obtaining transcripts, reviewing documents, and filing notices — steps that require personal involvement unless a lawyer is formally engaged. He added that Kanu has yet to indicate that he will retain legal counsel for the appeal.
Ejimakor also claimed that the circumstances surrounding Kanu’s prosecution “show the desperation of the system towards him.”
Justice Omotosho, in his ruling last Thursday, found Kanu guilty on seven counts of terrorism, stating that his broadcasts encouraged attacks on security agencies and threatened Nigeria’s unity.
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The judge ruled that self-determination cannot be sought through violence, ordered the forfeiture of Kanu’s transmitter, and directed that he be detained without digital access.
Kanu’s legal team has pledged to challenge the judgment, describing the life sentence as excessive.
Ejimakor, in a post on his X handle, confirmed the transfer to Sokoto and criticised the move, saying it distances Kanu from his lawyers, family, and supporters.
Kanu, first arrested in 2015 for terrorism and treasonable felony, fled Nigeria in 2017 following a military raid on his home.
He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria under contentious circumstances. His trial has remained one of the country’s most divisive and closely watched legal battles.