Security operations have intensified at the Sokoto Custodial Centre following the transfer of the Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was relocated there shortly after receiving a life sentence on terrorism-related charges.

Kanu was sentenced on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who also directed that he be kept in a “protective prison.”

The judge stressed that the Kuje facility, where Kanu was previously held, was unsafe due to past jailbreaks and security vulnerabilities.

Although prison authorities refused to confirm the exact location of the IPOB leader, his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, told DAILY GAZETTE that his client had indeed been moved to Sokoto.

Ejimakor criticised the transfer, arguing that it isolated Kanu from his legal team, family members, and supporters.

He urged the public, especially the Igbo community, to remain calm.

When our correspondent visited the Sokoto Custodial Centre, the usually quiet environment had changed dramatically.

Armed officers were seen stationed around the prison, and residents reported spotting military trucks entering the compound, a rare sight in the area.

One resident, who requested anonymity, said, “This evening, we saw trucks carrying soldiers driving inside. We’ve never seen security this heavy here.”

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Jane Osuji, confirmed that Kanu remained in state custody but refused to reveal his location due to the sensitivity of the case.

Kanu’s wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, later announced on X that he had indeed arrived in Sokoto.

She expressed displeasure that some supporters circulated the news publicly before she was informed.

Activist Omoyele Sowore also stated that Kanu was “secretly” moved, raising concerns that the relocation could compromise his safety.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, appealed for restraint, describing the development as unexpected and urging leaders from the South-East to avoid actions that could heighten tensions.

She emphasised that resolving the crisis required dialogue involving political, religious, and traditional stakeholders.

Prominent Igbo organisations, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo National Council, and MASSOB, condemned the life sentence, calling it unjust and politically motivated.

Ohanaeze’s spokesperson, Ezechi Chukwu, warned that the verdict could worsen instability in the South-East, while the group’s President-General, John Azuta-Mbata, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to initiate a political solution.

The Igbo National Council’s president, Chilos Godsent, described the ruling as part of an “ethno-political war” against the Igbo, urging President Tinubu to pardon Kanu.

Ohanaeze’s Youth Wing and MASSOB leader Uchenna Madu issued similar condemnations.

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 over treason-related accusations, fled the country, and was later re-arrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria in 2021.

Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have launched a deadly assault on a police formation in Geidam Local Government Area, Yobe State, killing one officer and destroying police property.

According to sources, the insurgents stormed the station around 1:30 am on Wednesday, moving on foot and opening fire indiscriminately.

During the 45-minute attack, they set two patrol vehicles on fire and made off with a third.

“In what appeared to be a well-planned operation, the attackers killed one officer, freed detainees, torched two patrol vans, and took away another,” a security source said.

Intelligence indicates that ISWAP members are gathering in nearby communities, including Sukdu, Buhari, Mattati, and Bulabulin in Yunusari Local Government Area.

Yobe State Police spokesperson SP Dungus Abdulkarim confirmed the incident, noting that the assault may have been aimed at seizing police vehicles.

“We are still investigating the full circumstances,” he added.

The attack comes amid a resurgence of violent incidents across Nigeria, prompting President Bola Tinubu to postpone international trips to focus on security.

Recent weeks have seen terrorists kill soldiers and security personnel, and target schools and churches. In Kebbi State, gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, killing one official and abducting 25 students.

In Kwara State, a church was attacked, resulting in multiple casualties and 30 abductions.

Reacting to the spate of attacks, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said that the President has placed Nigeria’s security apparatus on its “highest alert.”

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), the youth arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has condemned the life imprisonment verdict issued against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as a grave miscarriage of justice.

In a statement issued on Friday, the National President of OYC, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, said the ruling appears to serve the interests of “certain political oppressors and profiteers,” adding that it has further damaged public confidence in Nigeria’s judicial system.

Igboayaka said Kanu’s conviction on November 20, 2025, was “extremely provocative to Ndigbo,” comparing the implications of the judgment to events that preceded the 1967–1970 civil war.

“The verdict of Justice James Kolawole Omotosho implies that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and Ndigbo are regarded as terrorists,” he said.

“But we want to inform the government that the Igbo people are not terrorists. It is common knowledge who the real terrorists are, and the world, including the United States under the leadership of Donald Trump, is aware of their identity.”

He added that OYC shares Kanu’s earlier question to the trial judge: “Where is the law? Where lies the legal foundation?” insisting that “the prosecution did not substantiate any claims against Ndigbo or Nnamdi Kanu.”

According to him, the judgment “suggests that Justice Omotosho was carrying out a national assignment to uphold a predetermined decision influenced by the Federal Government and certain British agents or individuals in Nigeria.”

He alleged that the ruling was “orchestrated to silence Ndigbo because of the voice of Nnamdi Kanu,” noting that many known individuals have used inflammatory rhetoric to incite violence, yet have never been prosecuted or convicted.

“The likes of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, El-Rufai, Gumi, and others are protected by the same law that was allegedly used to convict Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.

“Indeed, Ndigbo are potential victims in the Nigerian justice system.”

He also argued that advocating for self-determination or calling for a referendum “does not radicalize anyone into becoming a terrorist,” warning the Federal Government to avoid actions that could push the younger generation of Igbo people “to the limit.”

“The events of 1967–1970 will not be repeated against the Igbo people in this era; rather, any sudden provocation against them will be met with formidable resistance,” he cautioned.

Igboayaka maintained that Kanu’s conviction lacked constitutional backing and was “a politically written judgment designed to victimize Ndigbo through Nnamdi Kanu.”

He urged Kanu and his legal team to pursue every constitutional remedy available, including appealing the verdict at the Court of Appeal.