The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an ex-parte motion filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
Justice James Omotosho took the decision during Tuesday’s proceedings after Kanu’s court-appointed lawyer, Demdoo Asan of the Legal Aid Council, applied to withdraw from the matter.
Asan told the court that irreconcilable differences had arisen between him and the applicant, making it impossible for him to continue representing Kanu in the case.
He explained that despite several phone conversations with Kanu’s relatives since the last adjournment, none of them appeared at the Legal Aid Council office to depose to the application supporting the motion.
The counsel further disclosed that Kanu attempted to dictate how the case should be conducted and what submissions should be made in court, a situation he said was incompatible with his duties as an officer of the court.
According to him, such conduct was unacceptable, adding that consultations with his superiors at the Legal Aid Council confirmed the decision to disengage from the case.
Justice Omotosho commended the counsel for maintaining professional ethics and granted leave for him and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from the matter.
The judge noted that the motion before the court was incompetent, pointing out that there was no evidence of service on other parties involved since the last sitting on December 8, 2025.
In the interest of justice, the court ordered that relevant parties be properly served but ultimately struck out the ex-parte motion for lacking competence.
The ruling effectively halts Kanu’s attempt to secure a transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility through the withdrawn application.
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