Why Nnamdi Kanu Declined Transfer From Sokoto Prison – Wife

Uchechigeme Okwu-Kanu, wife of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), said her husband refused to be moved from Sokoto Correctional Centre to Abuja.

Mrs. Kanu shared this update on her verified Facebook page on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

She explained that the development came after an earlier court application where Kanu asked to be moved from the facility in Sokoto, which is over 700 kilometres from Abuja.

The application was heard before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court. On 8 December 2025, the judge refused the ex parte application, ruling that such an order could not be granted without first hearing from the Federal Government.

The case went back to court, but the application was dismissed after the Legal Aid Council’s lawyer asked to withdraw. After that, Kanu was given a court-appointed lawyer, but he ended up representing himself.

She emphasised that she had consistently advocated for her husband’s transfer from Sokoto since the earliest days of his detention there.

“My concern was never political. It was humanitarian, legal and practical,” she wrote. The long distance, she explained, 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), Mrs Kanu stated that “Eventually, I received confirmation from our case handler at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that arrangements had been made for the transfer to proceed.

“It was at that point that I was informed that my husband had declined to be moved from Sokoto. Naturally, I wanted to understand why.

“Following my insistence, it was relayed to me that he 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. You all did it when I started the #FreeNnamdiKanu petition while those who love him with their lips were not found. Today, there is a subsequent activity and I implore you all to join me.”