By Our Correspondent
The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission has condemned what it described as the politically motivated transfer of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from the Abuja Custodial Centre to Sokoto, insisting the move is intended to punish and frustrate him rather than serve the ends of justice.
In a press statement issued on Thursday signed by Rev. Tony Uzor Anthony, on behalf of the group, the commission said the decision “has nothing to do with justice, nothing to do with law and order, and everything to do with politics and punishment.”
The group faulted federal officials who cited insecurity in Abuja prisons, accusing them of turning their own administrative failures into a weapon against Kanu.
According to the statement, “Government officials keep repeating the excuse of ‘prison insecurity,’ yet they are the ones running the prisons. Instead of fixing their own failures, they now use those same failures as an excuse to keep frustrating one man. We say clearly:
It is wrong, it is unfair, and it is targeted.”
The commission also took aim at The Nation newspaper, accusing it of functioning as an extension of government propaganda aimed at undermining Kanu’s rights.
It said, “We note with disappointment the role of The Nation newspaper, which has now positioned itself as the main mouthpiece for this continued state harassment. Every time there is a government move to undermine Nnamdi Kanu’s rights, The Nation quickly publishes a story that tries to justify it — even when the facts are wrong or the reasoning makes no sense.”
The statement further read, “A newspaper that cannot tell the difference between a repealed law and an active one has no moral right to lecture the public.
A newspaper that refuses to investigate or cross-check facts should not be the one shaping public opinion on such a serious matter.
The Nation has chosen a side — and it is the side of repression.”
Transfer to Sokoto Seen as Deliberate Frustration
The group argued that relocating Kanu to Sokoto—one of the farthest points from the Abuja courts—was calculated to obstruct his legal rights and disrupt communication with his defence team.
It stated, “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has ongoing legal rights, including appeals and meetings with his lawyers. Moving him to Sokoto — one of the farthest places from Abuja courts — is clearly meant to make his legal work difficult, if not impossible.
“If the government believes its own case is strong, why is it afraid of giving him proper access to his lawyers? Why hide him far away?
Why block easy communication?
“The answer is simple: this case has never been about justice.”
The ministers warned against the judiciary being used as a cover for political directives.
They said, “It is also important to remind Nigerians that it is not the job of any court to decide the exact prison where someone should be kept. That duty belongs to the Correctional Service, not judges acting under pressure.
“The attempt to dress political orders in the robe of the judiciary is one of the biggest problems in this case.”»
The statement called on the Federal Government to reverse the transfer and return Kanu to a facility within the Federal Capital Territory.
It declared, “The Concerned Igbo ministers commission calls for the immediate return of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a custodial centre within the Federal Capital Territory, where he can properly exercise his rights and continue his legal processes without hidden obstacles.”
The statement warned that, “This constant mistreatment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not just about one man. It is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to fairness and the rule of law. If this type of behaviour continues unchecked, then no citizen is safe.
“We cannot and will not keep quiet.”
