Court strikes out Kanu’s application for transfer from Sokoto prison to Abuja
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has struck out a request for the transfer of the custody of Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu’s custody from Sokoto, where he is serving a life jail term, to Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Penpushing reports that the judge, Justice James Omotosho, on Tuesday struck out the application filed as a motion ex parte, following the withdrawal of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) from Mr Kanu’s defence.
The Senior Legal Officer Demdoo Asan, representing the convict announced his withdrawal from the defence, citing irreconcilable issues, explaining that the relatives of the applicant didn’t show up at their office to submit the application, despite phone calls and promises to show up
“Since the last adjourned date, I have been on constant phone communication with the relatives of the applicant. However, the relatives of the applicant didn’t show up at our office to submit the application. Despite phone calls and promises to show up’, Demdoo said.
‘The applicant wants to dictate the tune of the matter, he wants to control what counsel would say, he wants to write down what I would say while in court. But, as an officer of the court, I can’t in good faith accept that’, he stated
Penpushing further reports that the Senior Legal Officer told the court how he consulted with his superiors, who shared the same sentiment, stressing that as officers of the court, he and his office would handle the matter as they saw fit, or the applicant could seek legal representation elsewhere.
The Senior Legal Officer on that note, invoked Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules to withdraw from the matter, and the judge in his ruling, commended the counsel for upholding the dignity of the court.
“Having listened to counsel from the Legal Aid Council, I will grant leave for the counsel and the Legal Aid generally, to withdraw from representing the defendant convict’, Omotosho emphasized
Penpushing also reports that the judge described the motion as incompetent, explaining that despite the flaws of the application, directed other parties involved in the matter to be served with the processes filed, in the interest of justice.
Meanwhile, since the last court sitting on December 8, 2025 until January, 27, 2026 there was no proof of service before this court, hence, the judge struck out the ex-parte motion for lacking competence.
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