Court Declines Request To Transfer Nnamdi Kanu From Sokoto Prison

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined a request by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a facility closer to the Federal Capital Territory or Nasarawa State.

Nnamdi Kanu, acting through the Legal Aid Council, had filed an ex-parte motion asking the court to order the Federal Government or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to transfer him immediately from Sokoto to either Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja or the Keffi facility in Nasarawa.

As an alternative, he requested to be moved to any detention centre within the court’s jurisdiction, such as Suleja or Keffi, so he could properly prepare and pursue his appeal.

Justice James Omotosho refused the application on Monday, explaining that the court could not grant such a request without first hearing from the Federal Government.

He ruled that both the government and the NCoS must be notified and given a chance to respond before any decision is made in the interest of fairness.

The judge set January 27, 2026, as the date to hear the full motion.

Kanu was convicted on November 20 on seven terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was later transferred to the Sokoto facility because of security concerns at Kuje, which has experienced prison breaks in the past.

Following his conviction, his legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, filed another motion before Justice Omotosho asking for Kanu to be relocated to a facility closer to Abuja.

In the application, signed by Kanu himself, he urged the court to treat the motion as having been moved in his absence and to direct the authorities to carry out the transfer.

Nnamdi Kanu argued that being detained in Sokoto, more than 700 kilometres away from Abuja, makes it extremely difficult to prepare his appeal documents.

He noted that his legal team, associates, and family members who assist in his defence all live in Abuja, making frequent contact and consultation nearly impossible.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nnamdi Kanu had filed a motion asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to halt the judgment which convicted him on November 20.