The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking to be moved from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a custodial facility closer to the Federal Capital Territory.
Kanu, through the Legal Aid Council, had filed an ex-parte application requesting an order directing the Federal Government or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to transfer him from Sokoto to the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja or the Keffi facility in Nasarawa State. In the alternative, he sought to be moved to any custody within the court’s jurisdiction—including Suleja or Keffi—to enable him effectively pursue his appeal.
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However, Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling delivered on Monday, declined the request, holding that such an order could not be granted without first hearing from the Federal Government. He stated that the respondents—the Federal Government and the NCoS—must be put on notice and allowed to respond in the interest of justice before any transfer request could be considered.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to January 27, 2026, for hearing.
Kanu was convicted on November 20 on all seven terrorism-related charges preferred against him by the Federal Government and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Following the judgment, he was transferred to the Sokoto Correctional Facility due to security concerns at Kuje, which has experienced prison breaks in the past.
His legal consultant, Aloy Ejimakor, later filed a fresh motion before Justice Omotosho seeking Kanu’s transfer to a facility closer to Abuja, arguing that his incarceration in Sokoto—over 700 kilometres from the FCT—made it difficult for him to prepare his notice and records of appeal. Kanu said key individuals involved in assisting him, including relatives, associates, and legal consultants, are all based in Abuja.
The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, also requested that the court deem it moved in Kanu’s absence and issue an order compelling the government or the correctional service to effect the transfer.
