Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has raised alarm over a reported threat to Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and his lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, while they remain in custody at Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Sowore claimed that intelligence reports suggest certain prison officials, allegedly acting on directives from influential figures linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may target the detainees. Both men were recently remanded following their involvement in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
“Credible information indicates that efforts are underway to harm Fineboy Kanu and Barrister Aloy Ejimakor inside Kuje prison through specially assigned warders loyal to the government,” Sowore said.
Describing the alleged plan as part of “systematic persecution” against supporters of Nnamdi Kanu, Sowore warned that any attack on the detainees could trigger widespread public outrage. He called on the Minister of Interior, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, and international human rights organizations to intervene immediately to safeguard their lives.
The alert comes hours after an Abuja court ordered the remand of Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel Kanu over alleged public disturbance linked to Monday’s protest. Sowore emphasized that the government would bear full responsibility if any harm comes to the duo while in detention.