iDeemlawful•Controversy over Gov Otti’s visit to IPOB leader
Tension is steadily rising across Sokoto metropolis as residents attempt to adjust to the presence of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Central Correctional Centre.
His arrival has unsettled homes, businesses, transport workers and surrounding communities, with anxiety particularly noticeable in Yar Marina, the centre of Sokoto where the prison is located. The facility sits close to the Sultan’s Palace and not far from Sokoto Garka, the administrative hub of Sokoto North Local Government Area — a proximity that residents say amplifies public worry.
Some residents, including veteran journalist Kabiru Mohammed Gobirawa, said this is only the second time the city has hosted a high-profile inmate drawing national attention, regular VIP visitors and heavy daily security presence. He recalled that the prison once accommodated former NYSC Director General, Colonel Peter Obasa (retd.) following his conviction by a military tribunal in the 1980s. However, Obasa did not receive the kind of steady visitations Kanu now attracts, which many consider a source of growing concern.
“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 a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment. In the ruling, Justice James Omotosho authorised the Department of State Services DSS to hold him in any correctional facility nationwide, a decision that many lawyers and observers have continued to question.
After the transfer, Yar Marina changed significantly. New checkpoints appeared, patrol units intensified, and movement around the correctional centre became more restricted.
Yar Marina also houses the headquarters of Police Zone 10 and the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG. Neighbouring structures still show marks from a 2016 bombing carried out by an unidentified suicide attacker, which killed a policeman praying in a mosque opposite the AIG office.
In 2016, the Boko Haram faction once linked to Kabiru Sokoto made attempts to establish a presence in the state. That same year, another suicide bomber detonated an explosive at a divisional police station in Unguwar Rogo, killing only himself.
Unease
Residents told Sunday Vanguard that although daily life continues — markets operate, traffic moves, schools open — the underlying atmosphere is far from calm. Beneath the routine lies a steady sense of uneasiness.
A trader, Alhaji Sani Alfa, described the mood. He said the tension does not stop people from working, but it compels them to stay alert.
“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 many families have reduced unnecessary movements, especially at night.
“There are soldiers, police and vehicles moving at every hour. Even children know something is happening,” she said. She added that the fear stems not only from Kanu’s presence but from worries over what his detention in Sokoto could trigger from allies or adversaries elsewhere.
The centre has now become a focal point in national discussions, attracting lawyers, sympathisers, supporters and high-ranking political figures. Last week, residents were taken aback when the Abia State Governor visited the facility to see the IPOB leader, a move that heightened anxiety across the city.
Muchedi Dan Marina, who owns a shop close to the prison, said each high-profile visit instantly increases tension because security levels rise sharply.
“You do not know who will come next or what could happen,” she said.
The Visit
Last Sunday, Kanu received his lawyer, Dr Maxwell Opara, who arrived with four associates. They left the facility carrying several files believed to relate to his appeal. The lawyer later said Kanu remained mentally stable and was preparing for a legal review of his conviction.
However, Opara questioned the reasoning behind transferring him to Sokoto, far from the city where his court proceedings take place.
“Our concern is access,” the lawyer stressed.
“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.”
His colleague, Aloy Ejimakor, reiterated the concern on social media, saying the decision created unnecessary distance between Kanu, his legal team and his family.
“He has been moved far away from everyone who needs access to him,” Ejimakor wrote.
Correctional officials have not issued a formal explanation. However, a staff member quietly confirmed he is being held under strict supervision.
“Yes, he is with us but entry is tightly controlled,” he said, offering no further details.
Sokoto now moves cautiously. Residents speak in hushed tones, businesses function while watching the prison boundaries, and unease hangs over Yar Marina. Security remains intense. Anxiety remains palpable. And the city waits — unsure how long this climate will persist or what might unfold next.
Controversy
Attempts to speak with officials at the Central Correctional Centre were unsuccessful, as journalists were barred from the access points leading to the facility. Even passersby and residents of the area were subjected to stringent checks before being allowed through.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State government has firmly denied reports suggesting that Governor Ahmed Aliyu accompanied Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, on his visit to Kanu at the custodial centre.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, it described the reports as misleading and entirely false, stating that Governor Aliyu was outside the country at the time.
The clarification noted that Governor Aliyu was in Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj as of November 30, 2025, during the same period Dr. Otti made his private visit to Sokoto.
The statement added that upon Dr. Otti’s arrival at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, he was received by selected Commissioners and Special Advisers, who escorted him to Government House for the standard protocol accorded to visiting governors.
It highlighted Sokoto’s longstanding culture of hospitality, emphasising that visitors are treated with respect irrespective of ethnicity, region or religion.
The statement reiterated that Governor Aliyu remains committed to peace, respectful of constituted authority and focused on safeguarding unity and stability in Nigeria.
