*Put necessary parties on notice, Court says, as it adjourns hearing to January 27
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the hearing of an ex-parte application filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Centre to a custodial facility closer to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, however, fixed January 27, 2026, to hear the motion.
Kanu, who filed the request through the Legal Aid Council, is asking to be moved from the Sokoto Custodial Centre to either the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja or the Keffi Custodial Centre in Nasarawa State.
According to his legal team, the relocation is necessary to enable him to effectively pursue his appeal and consult with his lawyers.
In an alternative plea, Kanu requested to be transferred to any custodial facility within the court’s jurisdiction, including Suleja in Niger State, citing the difficulty of managing his defence from Sokoto.
However, Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barr. Aloy Ejimakor, said that when the matter came up on Monday, Justice Omotosho directed that the Correctional Service/prosecution be put on notice.
“To all the faithful that have contacted me about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s prison transfer hearing held today, here is the fact,” Ejimakor wrote in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account after the court session.
“The hearing was postponed to 27th January 2026, as the Judge directed that the Correctional Service/prosecution be put on notice,”
In November, Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism charges for declaring a “sit‑at‑home” order in the South-East, which the court ruled was enforced through threats and violence.
The court also gave him concurrent sentences of 20 years and five years on other counts. The court cited international concerns over capital punishment in deciding against the death penalty.
President Bola Tinubu’s government later transferred Kanu from the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto State.
Kanu’s trial attracted national and international attention, with critics alleging political interference.
However, Kanu and his legal team have repeatedly objected to his continued detention in the Sokoto facility, arguing that the long distance hampers his ability to effectively pursue an appeal against the judgment.
The court linked Kanu’s sit-at-home order to the killing of former presidential aide Ahmed Gulak and accused him of inciting violence through broadcasts.
Justice Omotosho described Kanu as “arrogant, cocky, and full of himself,” adding that his rhetoric posed a serious threat to public safety.
