Nnamdi Kanu’s new neighbours speak on ‘unusual prisoner’ in Sokoto

• By Musa Ubandawaki

Tension is gradually building across Sokoto metropolis as residents struggle to cope with the presence of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Central Correctional Centre.

The development has unsettled many homes, businesses, transport operators and community dwellers, with fear spreading particularly across Yar Marina, the heart of Sokoto city where the correctional facility sits. The prison is only a short distance from the Sultan’s Palace.

Many residents, including Kabiru Mohammed Gobirawa, a seasoned journalist, admitted that this is the second time they are experiencing such a situation involving a high-profile inmate attracting national attention, frequent high-level visitations and heavy security presence on a daily basis. “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 the state,” Gobirawa said.

Nnamdi Kanu was transferred to Sokoto shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment. Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling, gave the Department of State Services DSS authority to hold him in any prison within the country, a decision many lawyers and observers have since questioned.

Following the sudden transfer, streets around Yar Marina changed overnight. Security checkpoints emerged, patrol teams became more visible, and movement near the facility was heavily restricted.
Yar Marina is also host to the headquarters of Police Zone 10 and the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG. Neighbouring buildings still bear the scars of a 2016 bomb blast detonated by a yet-to-be-identified suicide bomber which killed a policeman while he was praying in a mosque opposite the AIG office.

The Boko Haram network under the once dreaded figure Kabiru Sokoto attempted in 2016 to establish a base in the state. Another bomb was detonated that year by a suicide bomber at a divisional police station in Unguwar Rogo, killing only the bomber.

A trader, Alhaji Sani Alfa, captured the public mood. According to him, the tension does not stop people from working but it forces them to look over their shoulders constantly. “We woke up to heavy deployment around the prison,” he recalled. “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 “There are soldiers, police and vehicles moving at every hour. Even children know something is happening,”.

The prison has become a point of national attention, drawing lawyers, loyalists, sympathisers and even top political figures. Last week, in a move that startled many locals, the Governor of Abia State arrived at the facility to visit the IPOB leader. The visit sent a ripple of anxiety across the city. Muchedi Dan Marina, a shop owner not far from the prison, said each visit ushers in fresh tension because the security around the area doubles instantly.

Last Sunday, Kanu received his lawyer, Dr Maxwell Opara, who visited alongside four associates. His colleague, Aloy Ejimakor, echoed the sentiment on social media, insisting that relocating Kanu had placed unnecessary barriers between him, his family and legal counsel. “He has been moved far away from everyone who needs access to him,” Ejimakor wrote.

Today, Sokoto walks with caution. Residents speak in whispers, businesses operate with an eye fixed on the prison walls and tension lurks beneath the quiet wind that drifts across Yar Marina. Security remains heavy. Anxiety remains real. And the entire city waits, unsure of what tomorrow brings or how long this unsettling atmosphere will last.