Court refuses Nnamdi Kanu’s ex parte request for transfer from Sokoto prison

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an ex parte application filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking to be moved from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a custodial facility within Abuja or nearby Nasarawa State.

Kanu, represented by the Legal Aid Council, had urged the court to order his immediate relocation to the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory or the Keffi Custodial Centre in Nasarawa. In a secondary request, he asked to be moved to any correctional facility within the court’s jurisdiction—such as Suleja or Keffi—to enable him to properly pursue his ongoing appeal.

Justice James Omotosho, presiding on Monday, declined to grant the request, ruling that the court could not issue such an order without first hearing from the Federal Government or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

He instructed that the ex parte motion be converted into a motion on notice and served on all relevant parties to ensure fairness and due process.

The court has fixed January 27, 2026, for the hearing of the motion.