The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday, insists that their brother will not leave the Sokoto Custodial Centre for Abuja unless a court orders his relocation.

They also said Kanu’s continued detention in Sokoto is a central issue in his pending appeal and not a matter of personal convenience.

In a statement by Emmanuel Kanu on behalf of the family, said that the family framed the decision as a calculated legal strategy, warning that any voluntary move outside the judicial process could be used against him in his case before the Court of Appeal.

The family’s statement followed an earlier disclosure from Kanu’s wife, Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, who revealed that her husband had rejected an arranged transfer to Abuja.

Clarifying her own position on the matter, she said her push for his relocation had never been driven by politics, said that, “My concern was never political. It was humanitarian, legal and practical.”

She explained that the distance had made family visits, legal consultations, and access to his case files unnecessarily difficult.

Building on her remarks, the family’s statement argued that the location of Kanu’s detention isn’t incidental – it’s a live issue in the appeal itself.

They pointed to a finding in Justice Omotosho’s November 2025 judgment where the trial judge stated that Kanu “hates the North with a passion” before ordering him to serve his sentence in Sokoto.

The legal team contends this sequence creates a compelling appearance of bias, invoking the principle that “justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done,” and cautioning that leaving Sokoto now could be cast by prosecutors as abandoning that ground of appeal.

The statement also disclosed that British consular officials had approached Kanu about a possible move to Abuja – an offer the family said he turned down, insisting that “the present issue concerns a matter pending before the Nigerian courts” and that any change in custody must come through lawful judicial process rather than diplomatic intervention.

The family further noted that Kanu is arguing his own appeal pro se before the Court of Appeal, and said an earlier motion to vary the Sokoto sentencing was struck out after the judge declined to let him attend the hearing personally.

Addressing supporters pushing for his relocation, the statement cautioned that “he will not allow emotion, social media pressure, or diplomatic interference to dictate his legal strategy.”

The family urged IPOB supporters to stand down, asserting “the Court of Appeal will decide; no one else.” (The Guardian)

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