A legal consultant for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Maxwell Opara, has assured that Kanu was not attacked at the Sokoto Custodial Centre.
Kanu is currently serving a life sentence at the facility following his conviction by Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Federal High Court. After the ruling, Kanu was transferred to Sokoto to serve his sentence.
In a video posted on his social media page, Opara said: “I want to start by telling you that nobody stabbed Nnamdi Kanu and nobody attacked him. He is here in the Correctional Centre in Sokoto.”
Opara also addressed Kanu’s case at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sought his transfer to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Kanu’s Request for Transfer Dismissed by Court
He explained that the court struck out the matter, ruling it had become academic due to Kanu’s conviction.
“Secondly, there is this issue of his case that was struck out in the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, last week. That case was filed in 2022 when we asked the court to order the DSS to transfer him back to a correctional centre so he could have access to a medical doctor. But we lost at the Federal High Court and then went to the Court of Appeal,” Opara said.
He added: “When the matter came up, the court said it had become academic and struck it out.”
Opara further explained the reason for Kanu’s transfer to Sokoto.
“The judgment relating to his conviction and sentence required that he be kept in a protective custodial centre in Nigeria. He was therefore taken to Sokoto Correctional Centre.
“We sought clarification from the correctional facility on why Sokoto was chosen, questioning whether it was considered more protective than Abuja. The authorities confirmed that the judge specifically mentioned Sokoto in the remand warrant, which is why he was transferred there,” Opara said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
