From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an application by the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his relocation from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a facility closer to the nation’s capital.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Justice James Omotosho held that the application was incompetent.
The decision followed a dramatic turn in the proceedings when Kanu’s court-appointed lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), Demdoo Asan, applied to withdraw from the case.
Asan informed the court of “irreconcilable differences” with the applicant, alleging that Kanu had attempted to dictate the specific words counsel should use during oral arguments.
He also noted that despite numerous promises, none of Kanu’s relatives had come forward to depose to the necessary affidavits to support the motion.
Justice Omotosho commended the lawyer for upholding the dignity of the legal profession and granted the request for withdrawal.
In striking out the suit, the judge noted that while the court had previously ordered that the Federal Government and prison authorities be put on notice in the interest of justice, there was no proof that such service had been effected since the last sitting in December.
Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, after being convicted of seven counts of terrorism, had personally signed the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.
He argued that his detention in Sokoto—over 700 kilometers from Abuja—made it “impracticable” for him to coordinate with his legal consultants and access court registries to prepare his appeal.
The IPOB leader remains in the Sokoto facility following the court’s original sentencing order, which mandated his imprisonment in a high-security facility outside of Abuja to prevent security breaches similar to previous jailbreaks at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
With the striking out of this motion, Kanu will remain in Sokoto unless a fresh, competent application is filed. His 30-day window to file a formal appeal against his life sentence remains the primary focus of his remaining legal representatives.
