Court Dismisses Nnamdi Kanu’s Request For Transfer From Sokoto Prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an ex-parte application filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in which he asked to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.

During Tuesday’s court session, Kanu’s lawyer, Demdoo Asan of the Legal Aid Council, told the court he could no longer continue with the case.

He said there were unresolved issues between him and his client that made it impossible to proceed.

Asan explained that he had been in regular contact with Kanu’s family members since the last adjournment, but they failed to visit the Legal Aid office to support the application, despite repeated assurances.

He also told the court that Kanu was attempting to control how the case should be handled, including trying to dictate what the lawyer should say in court.

“He wants to write down what I would say while in court. But, as an officer of the court, I can’t in good faith accept that,” Asan said.

He added that after discussing the matter with his superiors, they agreed with his decision to step aside.

“As officers of the court, when a matter comes to us, we handle it as we see fit; otherwise, the applicant can find legal help elsewhere,” Asan said.

Asan then asked the court for permission to formally withdraw from the case, relying on provisions of the Federal High Court Rules.

In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho praised the lawyer for acting in line with professional standards and granted approval for him and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from the case.

The judge also described the application as flawed but said that, in the interest of fairness, other parties should have been properly served with court notices.

He noted that since the previous court date of December 8, 2025, there was no evidence before the court showing that service had been carried out.

Based on these findings, Justice Omotosho struck out the motion, declaring it incompetent.

KanyiDaily recalls that the court previously declined Nnamdi Kanu’s request to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a facility closer to Abuja or Nasarawa State.