A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a motion filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), seeking to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Facility to a location closer to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to aid his legal appeal process. The court’s ruling came as Kanu’s legal representative from the Legal Aid Council withdrew from the case, citing irreconcilable differences between counsel and the applicant
Justice James Kolawole Omotosho ruled that the ex-parte application was incompetent and unsustainable, noting procedural gaps that prevented the court from properly hearing the motion. The judge also emphasised that the application lacked the necessary service on the Federal Government and Nigerian Correctional Service, which were not given notice before the court was asked to make a binding order.
The bid to transfer Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2025 on terrorism-related charges, was framed on grounds that his continued detention so far from Abuja hindered his ability to meet with lawyers and prepare his constitutional right of appeal. His legal team had earlier attempted to argue that relocating him to a facility such as Suleja or Keffi would facilitate easier access to counsel and court records.
The motion had been previously declined to be heard in December 2025 because an attempt to move it through a non-lawyer was not recognised by the court, resulting in procedural delays. The Federal High Court then scheduled the matter for further hearing after ordering service to involved parties, a condition that was not met as proceedings resumed this week.
With the motion struck out, Kanu remains in custody at the Sokoto Correctional Facility while observers note that his legal team may need to refile the request through proper channels if they wish to revisit the transfer issue. Analysts say that the ruling underscores the importance of procedural accuracy in high-profile cases where constitutional rights and appeals are at stake.
