An Ebonyi-based legal practitioner and researcher in international war laws, Chief Emmanuel Nwibo, has raised serious concerns over the decision to detain the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
According to Nwibo, publicly revealing that Kanu is being held in Sokoto poses a significant national security threat and creates an opportunity for terrorists and bandits who may view him as a high-value target, much like the late General Uba who was assassinated by suspected extremists.
He described the transfer of a sensitive detainee to a region plagued by terrorist activities as a “dangerous miscalculation” that could trigger avoidable consequences. The lawyer added that detaining Kanu far from his legal team violates his right to fair representation and places him in extreme danger — similar to the treatment of Chief MKO Abiola in the 1990s.
Nwibo questioned how a nation struggling to rescue over 300 abducted students in Niger State could guarantee the safety of a controversial prisoner accused of making statements against armed Fulani groups. He emphasized that Sokoto, widely known as a hotspot for banditry and jihadist activity, is one of the least secure locations to keep a political agitator of Kanu’s profile.
He warned that if terrorists strike the prison facility or even spread rumours of an attempted attack, it could spark nationwide unrest, complicate Nigeria’s fragile security structure, and heighten ethnic tensions.
The lawyer insisted that Kanu — a separatist agitator and prisoner of conscience with strong regional support — should never have been transferred to a location that turns him into an easy target. He argued that keeping his exact location discreet and limited to only family members would have been a more strategic approach.
Nwibo concluded by stressing that Kanu was not convicted under any valid terrorism law, and detaining him in a volatile region is a threat to national stability.
“Nnamdi Kanu is a symbolic figure with nationwide influence,” he said. “Exposing him to unnecessary danger in Sokoto is a ticking time bomb for Nigeria. A stitch in time saves nine.”
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