Sokoto Residents on Edge as Nnamdi Kanu Becomes ‘Unusual Prisoner’ at Central Correctional Centre

Tension is steadily rising across Sokoto as residents adjust to the presence of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is serving his sentence at the Sokoto Central Correctional Centre.

His arrival has unsettled communities, businesses, and transport operators—particularly in Yar Marina, the central district where the prison is located. The facility’s proximity to the Sultan’s Palace and the Sokoto North Local Government’s headquarters has heightened residents’ concerns.

Kabiru Mohammed Gobirawa, a veteran journalist, said this is only the second time Sokoto has hosted a high-profile inmate with such intense national attention, daily high-level visits, and heavy security presence. He recalled that the prison once held former NYSC DG, Colonel Peter Obasa (retd.), in the 1980s, but noted that Obasa never attracted visitors at the scale currently seen with Kanu.

“It is our hope and prayers that the IPOB leader’s presence in the state will not trigger another wave of fear and tension in a state that has been grappling with security challenges for almost a decade,” Gobirawa said.

Kanu was moved to Sokoto shortly after the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment. Justice James Omotosho authorized the DSS to detain him in any prison nationwide—an order many observers and legal professionals have since questioned.

Following his transfer, Yar Marina changed almost overnight with new checkpoints, increased patrols, and restricted movements around the prison. The area already hosts the Police Zone 10 headquarters and the AIG’s office, surrounded by buildings still bearing marks from a 2016 suicide bomb attack that killed a policeman. That same year, another suicide bomber struck a divisional police station in Unguwar Rogo.

Quiet tension in the city

Despite daily routines continuing, locals say the sense of calm has disappeared.

Trader Alhaji Sani Alfa described the shift:

“We woke up to heavy deployment around the prison. At first we did not understand what was happening until we heard that Kanu had been brought here. Since then things have changed. We are doing business, yes, but with fear and caution.”

Another resident, Fatima Mai Masa, said many families now limit unnecessary movement, especially at night.

“There are soldiers, police and vehicles moving at every hour. Even children know something is happening,” she said, noting that the worry is not only Kanu’s presence but how his detention in Sokoto might trigger reactions from supporters or adversaries.

Kanu’s incarceration has turned the prison into a national focal point, attracting lawyers, political figures, and sympathisers. Last week, Abia State Governor Alex Otti visited him—a development that left many locals uneasy.

Shop owner Muchedi Dan Marina said such visits heighten tension immediately.

“You do not know who will come next or what could happen,” she said.

Lawyers protest transfer distance

Last Sunday, Kanu’s lawyer Dr. Maxwell Opara visited along with four associates, carrying documents believed to relate to his appeal. Opara later described him as mentally strong and preparing for legal review but questioned the decision to detain him far from Abuja.

“Our concern is access,” Opara said.
“His legal team is in Abuja, the court process is there, yet he is here far from where he is needed most. It complicates everything.”

Another lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, insisted online that Kanu’s relocation has placed unnecessary barriers between him, his family, and his defence team.

A staff member at the correctional centre confirmed Kanu’s presence under strict monitoring but offered no further details.

Controversy and government response

Journalists attempting to reach the prison were denied access, and residents near the facility undergo thorough checks before passing through.

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State government dismissed reports claiming Governor Ahmed Aliyu accompanied Governor Otti during the prison visit. A statement from Aliyu’s spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, said the claim was “misleading and completely untrue,” noting that Aliyu was in Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj at the time.

The government noted that Otti was formally received by select commissioners and advisers before being taken to Government House under Sokoto’s long-standing tradition of hospitality.

The statement reaffirmed Governor Aliyu’s commitment to peace, unity, and Nigeria’s stability.

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