The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 8 to hear a motion ex parte filed by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, seeking transfer from Sokoto Correctional Facility. Kanu, convicted on November 20 of seven terrorism charges and sentenced to life imprisonment, argued that his detention over 700 km from Abuja would hinder his constitutional right to appeal. Justice James Omotosho ruled that only a legal practitioner can move the motion.
In his motion, personally signed, Kanu requested that the Federal Government or Nigerian Correctional Service transfer him to a facility closer to the court, such as Suleja or Keffi, to enable effective prosecution of his appeal. He noted, “All persons critical to assisting the applicant in preparing his appeal, including his relatives, associates, and legal consultants, are based in Abuja,” adding that remaining in Sokoto “renders his constitutional right to appeal impracticable.”