The Igbo community in Sokoto State has marked the Christmas season with a humanitarian visit to inmates at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, where the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being held.
In a statement signed by Nze A. C. Madu and released to journalists on Thursday, the community leadership said the visit was carried out as an act of compassion and communal solidarity.
According to the statement, the initiative was inspired by the circumstances surrounding Kanu’s detention and his reported disposition during the festive period. Members of the Igbo community reportedly spent time with inmates at the facility, sharing meals and fellowship to celebrate Christmas.
The statement noted that, rather than focusing on a single individual, the community decided to extend the gesture to all inmates at the centre.
“Understanding his reported preference not to dine alone, especially during the festive season of Christmas, the community made a decisive and inclusive choice,” the statement said.
“Instead of limiting their generosity to one person, they chose to provide festive meals for the entire inmate population, ensuring that all approximately 1,300 inmates shared in the spirit of the season.”
The leadership said the outreach reflected Igbo cultural values of brotherhood, as well as broader principles of charity and fellowship, adding that the exercise was carried out without discrimination.
“It was a humanitarian service to all, regardless of background or circumstance, aimed at promoting inclusivity and offering comfort during the holiday period,” the statement added.
The Sokoto Igbo community expressed hope that the gesture would foster peace, unity and goodwill beyond the Christmas season.
Press Online reports that Nnamdi Kanu was transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Centre following his conviction in November 2025. Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment on terrorism counts one, two, four, five and six, a 20-year jail term on count three, and a five-year jail term on count seven, all without the option of a fine.
