By Adesakin Adefemi
The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an application filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), seeking his transfer from the prison in Sokoto State. The decision was made by Justice James Omotosho on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court on November 20, 2025, had argued that his detention in the Sokoto Custodial Center would hamper his ability to effectively appeal his conviction.
He claimed that being held in Sokoto, over 700 kilometres from Abuja, would make it difficult for him to prepare his appeal and access his legal team.
In a motion he personally signed, Kanu stated that the court had sentenced him to life imprisonment in any correctional facility in the country except Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
He had prayed the court for an order to compel the federal government and/or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to transfer him to a custodial facility within the jurisdiction of the court.
Kanu’s lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACoN), Demdoo Asan, withdrew from the case citing irreconcilable differences with the applicant. Asan told the court that despite his efforts, none of Kanu’s relatives showed up to depose to an affidavit in support of the prison transfer request.
Justice Omotosho, who delivered the ruling, held that the application was incompetent. He explained that the matter was brought before the court in an incompetent suit, and despite ordering that parties be served, this had not been done.
The court had previously declined to hear the motion on December 4, 2025, because Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel, who sought to move it, is not a legal practitioner.
The court’s decision to strike out the application means Kanu will remain in the Sokoto Correctional Facility, at least for now. Kanu’s conviction and sentencing had sparked widespread protests and tensions in the southeastern part of the country, with many calling for his release.
The IPOB leader has been in detention since June 2021, when he was arrested and charged with treasonable felony and terrorism-related offenses. His trial had been ongoing until his conviction in November 2025.
