The family of the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised serious concerns over the secret relocation of Kanu from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja to a correctional facility in Sokoto State.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who spoke on behalf of the family on Friday, said they became aware of the development after members of Kanu’s legal team visited the DSS headquarters in Abuja, where he had been detained, and were informed that he had been moved.
THE WHISTLER reports that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja convicted him on all counts on Thursday and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
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The presiding justice James Omotosho specifically instructed that Kanu should not be held in Abuja.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu said the family was shocked by the alleged relocation and fears that it poses a grave threat to Kanu’s life and health, given the long-standing concerns over his medical condition.
According to him, the family believes the transfer is part of a plot to isolate the IPOB leader and deny him access to the specialized medical care that he has been receiving from private physicians.
“They have secretly relocated Nnamdi Kanu to Sokoto prison with intention to kill him by denying him access to his personal physicians,” he said.
Prince Emmanuel, who has repeatedly raised concerns about his brother’s deteriorating health, said the decision to move him out of Abuja amounts to tampering with the fragile medical arrangements that were put in place after his condition worsened while in custody.
“Kanu is on special medication which is being managed by a private doctor after his failed health. Now they want to go back to the old order of administering drugs to him. This is a plan to finally kill him and we are opposed to it,” he stated.
The family insists that Kanu has committed no crime that warrants what they describe as “systematic torture,” warning that any attempt to compromise his safety would trigger serious consequences.
“Nigeria should not kill Nnamdi Kanu for seeking justice for his people. He committed no crime to warrant this torture,” Prince Emmanuel said.
He further demanded that international bodies, including the United Nations, African Union, United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, should take immediate interest in the development and hold the Nigerian government accountable for the safety and wellbeing of the separatist leader.
Prince Emmanuel placed direct responsibility on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government, saying the family will not accept any explanation if anything happens to him in custody.
He said, “The international community should hold President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible should anything happen to the IPOB leader.”
The family called for immediate clarification from the authorities and demanded that Kanu be returned to Abuja, where his lawyers, doctors, and relatives can access him without hindrance.