Governor Alex Otti of Abia State on Sunday visited the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at a prison facility in Sokoto State, where Kanu is serving a life sentence for terrorism.
Mr. Otti, who was accompanied by some Sokoto State government officials, became the first governor to visit the separatist leader since he was relocated to the state following his conviction.
On 20 November, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Mr. Kanu of terrorism after finding him guilty of all seven counts filed by the Nigerian government. Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that he be denied access to mobile devices and broadcasting equipment except under strict supervision by security operatives.
Shortly after the sentencing, the IPOB leader was transferred from Abuja to a prison facility in Sokoto State.
Mr. Kanu, an indigene of Afara-Ukwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, has remained in detention as legal and political reactions continue to trail his conviction.
Reacting to the visit in a post on X, Aloy Ejimakor, former special counsel to Mr. Kanu, praised Governor Otti for keeping his promise to the detained IPOB leader. “May this your visit be the first step to ending this undeserved ordeal, sooner than later,” he wrote.
When contacted on Sunday night, Governor Otti’s media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, confirmed the visit and said a detailed statement would soon be released.
Mr. Otti had, less than 24 hours after the court ruling, announced plans to initiate steps toward securing Mr. Kanu’s release.
The visit is expected to further heighten political interest around the fate of the IPOB leader and the governor’s commitment to pursuing avenues for his possible release.
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