The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been transferred from the Department of State Services (DSS) detention facility in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto State, according to his former lawyer and legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor.

Ejimakor, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, raised concerns over the development, warning that the move places Kanu far from his family, legal team, and support base.

“While urging Ndigbo to remain calm, I must question the wisdom of sending #MNK to Sokoto prison. When Awolowo was convicted in 1963, he was sent to the East, a neutral zone in his feud with the North. President Tinubu can still halt this drift, as I said in this video,” he wrote.

The transfer has not been independently verified as of Friday evening.

Kanu was initially arrested in 2015 and charged with treasonable felony, terrorism, and other related offences linked to his leadership of IPOB, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the Federal Government. After fleeing the country while on bail, he was intercepted and brought back from Kenya in 2021 under controversial circumstances.

On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment on seven terrorism-related charges. IPOB has rejected the judgment, calling it unlawful and politically motivated.

Justice James Omotosho, who delivered the verdict, imposed life sentences on five counts, 20 years on one, and five years on another, all without an option of fine. The judge also advised against sending Kanu to Kuje Correctional Centre, citing security concerns and the potential risk of violence, and recommended a more secure facility instead.

Lead prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), representing the Federal Government, welcomed the ruling, saying it reinforced the principle that no individual is above the law.