Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, refused to grant an ex-parte application by the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, seeking for his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Centre, where he is currently serving a jail term.
Justice Omotosho declined to grant the application on the grounds that the request contained therein cannot be granted through an exparte application.
Kanu was last month sentenced to life imprisonment upon conviction on terrorism offences.
He however brought an application before the court seeking amongst others, “an order compelling the 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 court”.
In the application moved on his behalf by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), Demdoo Asan, Kanu also prayed the court to, in the alternative, transfer 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”.
But the court in its ruling held that the respondents 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.
Justice Omotosho had, on December 4, adjourned to Monday for hearing of the motion ex-parte after the court declined to give audience to Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel, who announced appearance for the IPOB leader despite not being a lawyer.
The judge adjourned to enable the applicant engage a lawyer to represent him in court
