By Attah Ede
The legal team of leader of FG’s Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised the alarm over the safety of detention facilities in northern Nigeria and demanded his relocation from Sokoto prison.
Their demand follows the Christmas day” United States military strikes which targeted terrorists camps in Sokoto State.
The Special Counsel to the IPOB leader, Aloy Ejimakor raised this concerns in a statement he shared on his X on Friday.
He maintained that the reported US action confirms long-standing claims that Sokoto is “riddled with terrorists” and therefore unsuitable as a secure environment for the custody or transfer of high-profile detainees.
“The US military strike against terrorists in Sokoto has finally confirmed that Sokoto is riddled with terrorists and thus was never a safe place of custody for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“It is now more urgent that he be transferred outside the terrorist belt in Northern Nigeria.” He said
Kanu who was sentenced to prison few months ago, has been at the centre of prolonged legal and political disputes since his arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021.
His supporters have consistently raised concerns about his safety, alleging that insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria poses a serious risk to his life and undermines his right to humane treatment.
Security analysts note that Sokoto and neighbouring states have in recent years experienced increased attacks by armed groups, including bandits and insurgent elements, though government authorities maintain that security operations are ongoing to put the situation under control.
Kanu is being held at the Sokoto Correctional Centre following his sentence for life imprisonment for terrorism in November 2025 by Justice James Omotosho.
