Reports have revealed that inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sokoto, have announced leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as their president, Ekwutosblog has learned.

Kanu was recently sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho in a controversial judgment after he was found guilty on all seven counts of terrorism offences, a judgment that has been widely condemned by national and international observers. The charges related to his secessionist agitations, membership of a proscribed group, concealment, and the importation of an unregistered radio transmitter.

The IPOB leader, who had been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja while his protracted trial lasted, was moved to Sokoto Prisons after he was sentenced to life jail.

Daily Sun gathered that drama erupted upon his arrival inside Sokoto Prison as inmates unanimously declared him the “Prison President.”

Witnesses said the inmates scrambled to get close enough to shake his hand, calling him “a man who speaks the truth without fear.”

Senator Shehu Sani has stated that the terrorists and bandits active in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West are not foreigners, but local individuals from the region.

Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the 9th Assembly, stated this during a public discussion on insecurity.

He insisted that for insecurity to be a thing of the past in the North, leaders of the region must lead the solution.

According to him, claims that terrorists and bandits come from Mail, Malawi or any other African countries are misleading.

“The terrorists k!lling people in the North East are not from Congo, Malawi, Libya or Egypt; they are northerners, and they are Muslims. We must be honest about this. The bandits in the North-West are not from Senegal, Mali, Morocco, Guinea or Guinea-Bissau, they are Fulani from the North-West of Nigeria” he said

Explaining how he believes the issue should be addressed, Sani argued that the region must stop externalizing the problem.

“It is for us to solve this problem, not anybody else, they are not speaking Chinese or Spanish. They speak Fulani, Hausa and Kanuri. These are our languages.”

On how many armed men are involved, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna, said the number of active fighters is not as large as many assume.

“The total number of bandits and terrorists is not more than 5,000” he said

Sani urged Northern leaders to decide when they will confront the issue directly and design a regional security response based on accurate information about the groups involved.

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The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP has intensified calls for accountability in Nigerias security governance, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to launch a sweeping investigation into how state governors have spent security votes since 2015.

In a strongly worded statement, SERAP asked the President to immediately set up a Presidential Panel of Inquiry to examine what it described as long standing allegations of embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of billions of naira allocated to state governors under the guise of security votes. The organization argued that such funds are often hidden from public scrutiny and have for years operated without proper oversight.

SERAP stated that the federal governments recent declaration of a national security emergency will amount to little if huge funds meant to improve local intelligence gathering and strengthen security operations continue to be mismanaged at the state level. The group insisted that governors must provide a full account of the resources entrusted to them, stressing that insecurity cannot be tackled effectively while corruption remains unchecked.

The organisation also reminded the President of his constitutional duty to ensure the security and welfare of citizens, noting that the secrecy surrounding security vote spending undermines these obligations. SERAP warned that Nigeria cannot continue to channel large sums into a system that encourages abuse and a lack of accountability.

Earlier in the year, SERAP issued formal requests to all 36 state governors demanding detailed explanations of how security votes have been utilised since they assumed office. Many states have not provided the information requested.

If President Tinubu authorises the probe, it could become one of the most comprehensive anti corruption investigations in recent Nigerian history. Such a move has the potential to rebuild public trust, strengthen national security frameworks, and reshape governance culture across the states. However, analysts caution that the decision may trigger strong political resistance from state governors who are wary of federal scrutiny.

SERAP maintains that establishing transparency in the management of security votes is essential for addressing rising insecurity and restoring public confidence in government institutions.