The Nigerian government has moved Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto State.

The transfer was confirmed on Friday by Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, via a post on X. Ejimakor described the relocation as moving Kanu “so far away from his lawyers, family, loved ones and well-wishers.”

The move comes a day after the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on terrorism charges, a ruling condemned by his legal team as “a travesty of justice.” Ejimakor argued that the conviction was based solely on Kanu’s broadcasts advocating self-determination and not on any direct acts of violence.

“The verdict is not consistent with the evidence laid before the court. The sentence is overbroad, cruel and unusual,” Ejimakor said. He vowed to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, escalate to the Supreme Court.

Another member of the defence team, Barrister Maxwell Okpara, urged calm in the South-East, emphasizing that the legal process would seek to overturn what they perceive as a miscarriage of justice.