By Charles Maduka
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday struck out an ex parte motion filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, asking to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
Justice James Omotosho struck out the motion after lawyers from the Legal Aid Council handling the case applied to withdraw, saying they had serious disagreements with Kanu.
PUNCH Online reports that Kanu was convicted of terrorism-related offences on November 20, 2025, and sentenced to life imprisonment, a judgment his family rejected and said they would appeal.
After his sentencing, Kanu was moved to the Sokoto Correctional Centre to serve his sentence after the court ruled that the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja was not suitable for him.
However, on December 8, 2025, the IPOB leader filed an ex parte motion before the Federal High Court, asking to be transferred to a prison closer to the Federal Capital Territory, suggesting Suleja in Niger State or Keffi in Nasarawa State.
Speaking in court on Tuesday, a Legal Aid Council lawyer, Demdoo Asan, told the judge that despite repeated communication with Kanu’s relatives, none of them came forward to support the application by swearing to an affidavit.
He said that since the last adjourned date, he had been in constant phone contact with Kanu’s relatives, but they failed to visit the office to depose to the application despite several promises.
He also complained that Kanu was trying to control how the case should be handled, including telling the lawyer what to say in court, which he described as unacceptable.
Demdoo said that as an officer of the court, he could not accept such interference and that after consulting his superiors at the Legal Aid Council, they all agreed to withdraw from the case.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Omotosho praised the lawyer for respecting the dignity of the court, allowed the Legal Aid Council to withdraw, and struck out the ex parte motion for being incompetent.
The judge said there was no proof that relevant parties had been served with court papers since the last adjourned date, despite earlier instructions from the court.
Justice Omotosho added that although the court had earlier ordered service of the application in the interest of justice, no evidence of service was presented between December 8, 2025, and January 27, 2026.
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