The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed an ex parte application filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
Justice James Omotosho struck out the application after Kanu’s counsel, Demdoo Asan, announced his withdrawal from the case, citing irreconcilable differences with the applicant.
At the resumed hearing, Asan, a senior legal officer with the Legal Aid Council, informed the court that he could no longer continue to represent Kanu. He explained that although he had maintained regular telephone communication with Kanu’s relatives, who were expected to depose to the application, they failed to do so despite repeated assurances.
Asan further told the court that Kanu attempted to dictate how the case should be handled, including insisting on scripting what counsel would say during proceedings. He said such conduct was incompatible with his responsibilities as an officer of the court.
Following consultations with his superiors at the Legal Aid Council, Asan said a decision was reached to withdraw from the matter. He subsequently invoked Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules to formally step aside from the case.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho commended the lawyer for upholding professional standards and granted the application for Asan and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from representing Kanu.
The judge also held that the ex parte motion seeking Kanu’s transfer was incompetent. He noted that other parties were not properly served and that there was no evidence of service before the court since the last hearing on December 8, 2025. Consequently, the court struck out the application.
Kanu was convicted on seven terrorism-related charges on November 20, 2025, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was subsequently transferred from Abuja to the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
However, his legal consultant, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, has raised concerns that the transfer could hinder Kanu’s ability to pursue an appeal, arguing that it poses a threat to his constitutional right to fair hearing. Ejimakor said the distance from Abuja and the lack of jurisdiction of the Sokoto division of the Court of Appeal could impede the appeal process, noting that correctional facilities closer to Abuja would have better preserved Kanu’s access to legal representation and family.
