The wife of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has revealed that he declined an arranged transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to Abuja despite earlier efforts to facilitate the move.
In a statement released on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Uchechigeme Anyanwụụtụtụ Okwu-Kanu said she had consistently advocated for her husband’s relocation to Abuja on humanitarian, legal, and practical grounds, citing the challenges posed by the long distance between Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to her, Kanu had previously filed an application before the Federal High Court seeking to be transferred to Abuja to enable easier access to his legal team and case materials. However, Justice James Omotosho declined the ex parte application on December 8, 2025, ruling that the Federal Government must first be heard before such an order could be made.
She explained that the matter later returned to court but was eventually struck out after counsel from the Legal Aid Council withdrew from the case, following which Kanu represented himself.
Okwu-Kanu said she continued pursuing the transfer through diplomatic and consular channels, including engagement with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). She added that she was later informed that arrangements had been made to relocate Kanu to Abuja.
However, she disclosed that Kanu declined the transfer.
According to her, Kanu believed the court’s earlier refusal of his relocation request had been improperly influenced and saw no legitimate reason why the application should have been denied. She said he chose to remain in Sokoto, preferring that if he eventually regained his freedom, he would return directly home from there rather than accept a transfer secured through another process.
“My concern was never political. It was humanitarian, legal and practical,” Okwu-Kanu stated, maintaining that relocating her husband to Abuja would have improved his welfare, access to legal representation, and enabled easier family visits.
She said she made the clarification to address months of speculation surrounding the issue and announced that her next focus would be campaigning for Kanu’s release.
Calling on IPOB supporters to unite, she urged them to support renewed efforts aimed at securing his freedom and return home.
