The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 8 for the hearing of an ex parte motion filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
Kanu, convicted on November 20, 2025, on seven terrorism charges and sentenced to life imprisonment, was moved to Sokoto after the court expressed concern over his safety in the Kuje Correctional Centre, which has suffered repeated security breaches. Before the judgment, Kanu dismissed his legal team and chose to represent himself.
At Thursday’s proceedings, Justice James Omotosho declined to entertain submissions from Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, who attempted to appear for him despite not being a lawyer. The judge insisted that only a qualified legal practitioner could move the application.
“This ex parte motion cannot be moved on the convict’s behalf because you are not a legal practitioner,” Justice Omotosho said, advising Emmanuel to engage counsel or seek help from the Legal Aid Council.
When Emmanuel requested the next adjourned date, the judge assured him that Kanu’s case would be accommodated on Monday, despite a busy schedule. Justice Omotosho also cautioned against misleading the public about procedures relating to the compilation of appeal records, countering suggestions from former Kanu lawyer-turned-consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, that Kanu’s presence was required.
“The defendant may not be in court to compile a record. His attendance is not required,” the judge clarified.
The court then adjourned the matter to December 8.
In his motion, personally signed, Kanu asked the court to deem the application moved in his absence and to order his immediate transfer from Sokoto to a facility within the court’s jurisdiction—or alternatively, to Suleja or Keffi—to enable him to effectively pursue his appeal.
He argued that his detention over 700 kilometres from Abuja makes it impossible for him to prepare his appeal, especially as he is currently unrepresented and relies on relatives and consultants based in the capital.
Kanu stated that the distance and circumstances of his detention constitute a violation of his constitutional right to fair hearing and impede his ability to challenge his conviction.
The court will determine the application on December 8.
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2025-12-05