During the visit, the community shared meals with the inmates at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

The Igbo community in Sokoto State marked Christmas Day with detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu at the Nigerian Correctional Centre.

The community described the humanitarian gesture inspired by the disposition of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu

During the visit, the community shared meals with the inmates at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

In a statement signed by Nze A. C. Madu and made available to journalists, the leadership of the Sokoto Igbo community said the outreach was driven by compassion, communal responsibility and the spirit of the Christmas season.

According to the statement, members of the community spent Christmas with inmates at the correctional facility, sharing food and fellowship as part of the visit.

The group said its decision was influenced by what it described as Kanu’s reported preference not to dine alone during the festive season.

“Understanding his (Kanu’s) reported preference not to dine alone, especially during the festive season of Christmas, the community made a decisive and inclusive choice,” the statement said.

“Rather than limiting their generosity to a single individual, they elected to provide festive meals for the entire inmate population of the facility.”

The community said the gesture ensured that all inmates benefited from the celebration.

“This benevolent act ensured that all approximately 1,300 inmates shared in the spirit of the season,” the statement added.

Describing the outreach as deeply rooted in Igbo values, the leadership said the initiative reflected the cultural principle of being one another’s keeper, as well as universal ideals of charity and fellowship.

“It was performed as a humanitarian service to all, irrespective of origin or circumstance,” the statement read. “It underscores a commitment to humanity and shared goodwill, offering a moment of comfort and inclusivity during the holiday period.”

The Sokoto Igbo community expressed hope that the Christmas outreach would foster peace, unity and mutual understanding beyond the festive season.

Kanu is currently being held at the Sokoto Correctional Centre following his transfer after Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment in November 2025 over terrorism counts one, two, four, five and six.

The court also handed him a 20-year jail term on count three and a five-year jail term on count seven, both without an option of fine.

Justice Omotosho delivered the judgment after convicting the IPOB leader on all seven counts of terrorism-related offences.

Although the judgment has attracted widespread condemnation, Kanu has indicated his intention to challenge the conviction and sentence at the appellate court.