Court Dismisses Nnamdi Kanu’s Prison Transfer Request

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an ex-parte motion filed by the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, dismissed the motion after Kanu’s counsel, Demdoo Asan, a senior legal officer with the Legal Aid Council, applied to withdraw from the case, citing irreconcilable differences.

At the proceedings, Demdoo told the court that since the last adjourned date, he had been in constant communication with Kanu’s relatives, who failed to appear at the Legal Aid office to depose to the application despite repeated assurances.

He further disclosed that the applicant attempted to dictate how the case should be conducted.

“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,” he said.

Demdoo added that his superiors shared the same position.

“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,” he said.

Invoking Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules, counsel formally sought leave to withdraw from the matter.

In his ruling, Justice Omotosho commended the lawyer for upholding the dignity of the court and granted leave for both Demdoo and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from representing Kanu.

The judge described the motion as incompetent, noting that there was no proof of service before the court since the last sitting on December 8, 2025. Consequently, the court ordered that the ex-parte motion be struck out for lacking competence, while directing that relevant parties be properly served in the interest of justice.