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Igbo Ministers Decry Kanu’s Transfer to Sokoto, Allege Political Agenda Behind Move
The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission has criticised what it called the politically driven transfer of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from the Abuja Custodial Centre to Sokoto, insisting the relocation was intended to punish and frustrate him rather than uphold justice.
In a press statement released on Thursday and signed by Rev.
The commission faulted federal officials for attributing the move to insecurity in Abuja prisons, accusing them of weaponising their own administrative lapses against Kanu.
According to the statement, “Government officials keep repeating the excuse of ‘prison insecurity,’ yet they are the ones running the prisons. Instead of fixing their own failures, they now use those same failures as an excuse to keep frustrating one man. We say clearly: It is wrong, it is unfair, and it is targeted.”
The group also criticised The Nation newspaper, accusing it of acting as a tool for state propaganda aimed at undermining Kanu’s rights.
It said, “We note with disappointment the role of The Nation newspaper, which has now positioned itself as the main mouthpiece for this continued state harassment. Every time there is a government move to undermine Nnamdi Kanu’s rights, The Nation quickly publishes a story that tries to justify it — even when the facts are wrong or the reasoning makes no sense.”
It added that a newspaper unable to distinguish between repealed laws and active legislation has no moral authority to guide public opinion, stating that The Nation “has chosen a side — and it is the side of repression.”
Transfer to Sokoto Viewed as Deliberate Obstruction
The commission argued that relocating Kanu to Sokoto, one of the farthest locations from the Abuja courts, was a calculated attempt to hinder his legal rights and complicate access to his defence team.
It stated, “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has ongoing legal rights, including appeals and meetings with his lawyers. Moving him to Sokoto — one of the farthest places from Abuja courts — is clearly meant to make his legal work difficult, if not impossible.
“If the government believes its own case is strong, why is it afraid of giving him proper access to his lawyers? Why hide him far away? Why block easy communication? The answer is simple: this case has never been about justice.”
The ministers further cautioned against the judiciary being used to mask political instructions.
They said, “It is also important to remind Nigerians that it is not the job of any court to decide the exact prison where someone should be kept. That duty belongs to the Correctional Service, not judges acting under pressure. The attempt to dress political orders in the robe of the judiciary is one of the biggest problems in this case.”
The group urged the Federal Government to reverse the transfer and return Kanu to a facility within the Federal Capital Territory.
It declared, “The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission calls for the immediate return of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a custodial centre within the Federal Capital Territory, where he can properly exercise his rights and continue his legal processes without hidden obstacles.”
The statement warned that the continued mistreatment of Kanu raises broader concerns about Nigeria’s commitment to fairness and the rule of law, stressing that if such actions go unchecked, “no citizen is safe. We cannot and will not keep quiet.”