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Aloy Ejimakor, former counsel to the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has criticised the decision to move him from Abuja to the Sokoto Custodial Centre.
Ejimakor spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday, describing the transfer as “surprising” and “insensitive,” and questioning Kanu’s ability to pursue his appeal from Sokoto.
“After the sentencing, I was surprised, and I think everybody else was surprised, that he was plucked from Abuja and taken to Sokoto, which is in the northernmost part of North-West Nigeria.
“You will begin to wonder whether he can prosecute this appeal from Sokoto. You will ask how he can take the initial steps to file it,” he said.
The Department of State Services on Friday moved Kanu to the Sokoto facility in line with Justice James Omotosho’s ruling. A security source said the transfer followed his conviction and sentencing for terrorism.
Jurisdiction Concerns
The lawyer stressed that the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal has no jurisdiction over the case, arguing that the Abuja Division remained the proper venue.
“Placing him in Sokoto is not the judge’s fault. Once someone is sentenced, it becomes the responsibility of the executive branch, particularly the Correctional Service. That decision perhaps did not consider these concerns. It is very insensitive to his rights. Prisoners still have rights.
“Can Nnamdi Kanu effectively prosecute his appeal or even initiate it from that location in Sokoto? The answer is no. What may play out in the coming days or weeks is an attempt to ameliorate the detention conditions.
“If you check around Abuja, there are other prisons. Those facilities would have been better to ensure proximity to his relatives and legal consultants,” he said.
Ejimakor explained that initiating an appeal required several physical tasks, noting that these steps required Kanu’s presence unless he retained a lawyer.
“He has to file a notice of appeal, request transcripts, pay for them, review them, and engage in other activities before the Court of Appeal.
“Up to this point, he has not indicated that he is going to hire any lawyer or inform anybody,” he said.
Ejimakor also argued that the lengthy prosecution showed the system’s determination to act against Kanu. He said the development “shows the desperation of the system towards him.”
Justice Omotosho convicted Kanu on Thursday on a seven-count charge of terrorism and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court held that Kanu used his broadcasts to incite attacks on security agencies, destroy infrastructure, and threaten diplomatic missions.
Justice Omotosho said Nigeria remained an indivisible state and ruled that self-determination could not be pursued through violence. He ordered the forfeiture of Kanu’s transmitter and directed his detention in a secure facility without digital access.
Kanu’s legal team has vowed to appeal the verdict, describing the sentence as excessive.
Ejimakor confirmed Kanu’s relocation to Sokoto in a statement on his X handle and criticised the move. He said it placed Kanu far from his legal team, relatives, and supporters.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 for terrorism and treasonable felony. He fled Nigeria in 2017 after a military raid on his home. He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and returned to Nigeria under disputed circumstances.
His trial continues to generate controversy and remains one of Nigeria’s most sensitive legal battles.
