Court rejects Kanu’s motion seeking transfer from Sokoto prison

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday declined to grant a motion ex-parte filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu, who was convicted on terrorism offences, is seeking “an order compelling the complainant (Federal Government) and/or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to forthwith transfer him from the Sokoto Correctional Facility to a custodial facility within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.”

Kanu sought an order transferring him to the court’s “immediate environs, such as the Suleja or the Keffi Custodial Centre, for the purpose of enabling the applicant (Kanu) to effectively prosecute his constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal.”

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Justice James Omotosho held that Kanu’s application, moved by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), Demdoo Asan, cannot be granted through ex-parte motion.

Justice Omotosho held that the respondents, the federal government and NCoS, ought to be put on notice for them to respond appropriately in the interest of justice, before the request could be granted.

The judge consequently adjourned the case until January 27, 2026, to enable the applicant serve the necessary parties and for the application to be taken.

The Star