The family of Nnamdi Kanu has voiced grave concerns over an alleged conspiracy involving the Nigerian Government and political leaders from the South-East zone to assassinate the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) within the confines of Sokoto Prison.
This alarm follows reports confirming Kanu’s transfer to the northern facility on Friday, the 21st of November, 2025.
The move comes immediately after Kanu’s conviction and sentencing on Thursday, the 20th of November.
Justice James Omotosho, presiding over the Abuja Federal High Court, found Kanu guilty of terrorism and handed down a life sentence, concluding a trial that spanned nearly a decade.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the IPOB leader had been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). However, the sentencing order mandated his immediate transfer to a correctional facility.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of Nnamdi Kanu, spoke on behalf of the family to raise the serious accusation regarding the alleged assassination plot on Friday. While confirming the news of the IPOB leader’s relocation to Sokoto Prison, Prince Emmanuel expressed profound distress, claiming the Nigerian Government and South-East political leaders intend to have Kanu killed at that location.
Prince Emmanuel stated: “Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been moved to Sokoto Prison. That is where the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government and South-East political leaders intend to finish what they have started by assassinating him.”
He further alleged that the decision to relocate Kanu to Sokoto was a calculated move to restrict visits from family members. Prince Emmanuel lamented that placing Nnamdi Kanu in such a “remote location” would make it easier for the government and “the collaborators” to cause him harm. The family also voiced additional concern that “insurgents” could potentially target the IPOB leader within the Sokoto prison facility itself.
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Concluding the family’s statement, Prince Emmanuel appealed to the global community: “We are calling on Nigerians and the international community to take note that the relocation of Nnamdi Kanu to Sokoto Prison is aimed at perfecting a plot to assassinate him in the remote prison facility.”
Meanwhile, reactions continue to pour in regarding Kanu’s conviction and sentencing. His legal team has publicly committed to filing an appeal against the judgment.
The judgment has also been challenged by IPOB and a coalition of rights activists, including the American Veterans of Igbo Descent, Ambassadors for Self Determination, and the Rising Sun Foundation.
Reports indicate that numerous key stakeholders from the South-East, encompassing activists, religious and traditional leaders, and political office holders, are now strongly advocating for the use of a political solution to resolve Kanu’s long-standing case.