Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The wife of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has disclosed that her husband declined an arranged transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to Abuja, despite her sustained advocacy for his relocation on humanitarian and legal grounds. Uchechigeme Okwu‑Kanu made the revelation in a statement on her verified Facebook page on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, explaining that the development followed an earlier court application in which Kanu sought to be moved from the facility in Sokoto, which is over 700 kilometres from Abuja.
According to Okwu‑Kanu, Kanu had previously filed an application before the Federal High Court seeking transfer to Abuja to enable easier access to his legal team and case materials. The application was heard before Justice James Omotosho, who on December 8, 2025, refused the ex parte motion, ruling that such an order could not be granted without first hearing from the Federal Government. The matter later returned to court but was ultimately struck out after counsel from the Legal Aid Council withdrew from the case, following which Kanu represented himself.
Okwu‑Kanu stated that she consistently advocated for her husband's transfer from Sokoto, emphasising that her concern was "never political. It was humanitarian, legal and practical". She explained that the long distance made family visits, legal consultations, and access to his case files unnecessarily difficult. While she pursued diplomatic and consular channels, including engagement with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), she eventually received confirmation that arrangements had been made for the transfer to proceed.
However, Okwu‑Kanu disclosed that she was then informed that Kanu had declined to be moved. "Naturally, I wanted to understand why," she wrote. According to her, Kanu believed the earlier rejection of his own application had been manipulated. "From his perspective, there had been no legitimate reason for the court to refuse the request. He therefore chose to remain in Sokoto, preferring that if he eventually regained his freedom, he would go directly home from there rather than accept a transfer obtained through a different process".
Okwu‑Kanu further emphasised that her own position never changed. "From day one, I believed that transferring him to Abuja was in his best interests for his safety, his welfare, his access to legal representation and his family's ability to visit him. I pursued that objective consistently until I was informed that he had chosen otherwise". She stated that the purpose of her public clarification was to address months of speculation surrounding the issue.
Looking ahead, she announced that the next campaign would focus on securing Kanu's release and return home. Addressing supporters, she wrote: "Biafrans, this is the time to prove that #IPOB is one family".
Kanu, the IPOB leader, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025 on terrorism‑related charges and is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Correctional Centre. His legal team has since filed an appeal challenging the conviction, which is yet to be heard. The latest development adds a new twist to the long‑running legal and diplomatic saga surrounding his detention, with his family and supporters continuing to push for his eventual release.
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