The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 8 for the hearing of an ex parte motion filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility to a custodial centre closer to Abuja.
Kanu was convicted on November 20, 2025, on all seven terrorism-related charges brought against him by the Federal Government and sentenced to life imprisonment. Following the judgment, he was moved to Sokoto Prison after the court ruled that Kuje Correctional Facility was unsuitable due to past security breaches.
At Thursday’s proceedings, trial judge Justice James Omotosho declined to hear the application after Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, attempted to represent him despite not being a lawyer. The judge stressed that only a qualified legal practitioner could move such a motion, advising Emmanuel to engage counsel or seek assistance from the Legal Aid Council.
Omotosho cautioned against misleading the public on appellate procedures, noting that Kanu’s physical presence was not required to compile his record of appeal. He dismissed earlier claims by one of Kanu’s former lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor, that the convict was being deprived of this right. “The rights of a defendant are different from the rights of a convict,” the judge explained, adding that appropriate legal advice was necessary to avoid delays.
In his motion, personally signed, Kanu asked the court to deem the application moved in absentia and order his transfer from Sokoto to a facility within the court’s jurisdiction, such as Suleja or Keffi Custodial Centre, to enable him to effectively pursue his appeal. He argued that detention in Sokoto, over 700 kilometres from Abuja, made it impracticable to exercise his constitutional right of appeal, as his relatives, associates, and consultants are all based in Abuja.
The motion cites Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), claiming that continued detention in Sokoto imposes exceptional hardship and risks defeating his right to appeal.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to December 8 for hearing, reiterating that only a licensed lawyer could move the application on Kanu’s behalf.
