By Oscar Okhifo

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has reportedly declined an offer to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to another custodial facility, according to his wife, Uchechi Kanu.

In a statement posted on her Facebook and X accounts on Thursday, Mrs Kanu said her husband was offered the opportunity to leave the Sokoto prison but chose to remain there, citing concerns that accepting the transfer could affect the legal processes surrounding his conviction and pending appeal.

She said the IPOB leader remains resolute in pursuing all available legal remedies to challenge his conviction.

“Nnamdi Kanu was offered a transfer from Sokoto prison, but he declined. He remains steadfast and focused on his legal battle,” she wrote.

Mrs Kanu did not disclose the prison to which he was allegedly to be transferred, nor did she identify the authorities behind the proposed relocation.

Kanu is serving a life sentence at the Sokoto Correctional Centre following his conviction on terrorism-related charges by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

His imprisonment has continued to generate public interest and political debate, with his supporters maintaining that he is a political prisoner, while the Federal Government insists he was lawfully tried and convicted.

Kanu’s legal troubles began in October 2015 when he was arrested in Lagos shortly after returning from the United Kingdom. He was granted bail in 2017 on health grounds but fled Nigeria after a military operation at his family home in Afaraukwu, Abia State.

In June 2021, the Federal Government announced that Kanu had been arrested abroad and returned to Nigeria under circumstances that sparked widespread legal and political controversy. His legal team consistently challenged both the legality of his arrest and the process through which he was brought back to the country.

Although the Court of Appeal ordered his release in October 2022, the Supreme Court later overturned that decision and directed that his trial continue before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

After a prolonged trial marked by multiple legal disputes, adjournments and applications from both the prosecution and the defence, Justice James Omotosho convicted Kanu on terrorism-related offences on November 20, 2025, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

He was subsequently transferred from detention in Abuja to the Sokoto Correctional Centre to begin serving his sentence.

His legal team has since filed appeals challenging both the conviction and the life sentence, while IPOB supporters continue to campaign for his release.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Correctional Service had not issued any official statement confirming or denying Mrs Kanu’s claim that he was offered a transfer.

The disclosure is expected to reignite public debate over Kanu’s imprisonment, his pending appeal, and the broader political and legal issues surrounding the IPOB leader.