It was a bleak day in court on Tuesday for the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out his ex-parte motion seeking a transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
The ruling was delivered by Justice James Omotosho, following dramatic developments during proceedings that also saw Kanu’s court-appointed lawyer withdraw from the case.
At the hearing, Demdoo Asan, a senior legal officer with the Legal Aid Council and counsel to Kanu, informed the court of his decision to step aside, citing irreconcilable differences that made continued representation impossible.
Asan told the court that since the last adjourned date, he had been in repeated telephone communication with Kanu’s relatives regarding the application before the court.
However, he said the relatives failed to honour invitations to visit the Legal Aid office to depose to the application, despite several calls and assurances that they would appear.
The lawyer further disclosed that Kanu attempted to dictate how the case should be conducted and what counsel should say in open court.
“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,” Asan said.
He added that after briefing his superiors at the Legal Aid Council, they shared the same position on the matter.
“As officers of the court, when a matter comes to us, we handle it as we see fit; otherwise, the applicant can find legal help elsewhere,” he stated.
Asan subsequently invoked Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules, formally applying to withdraw from the case.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho commended the counsel for standing firm in defence of the dignity and integrity of the court, and granted leave for both Asan and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from representing Kanu.
The judge further held that the ex-parte motion before the court was incompetent. Nevertheless, he noted that in the interest of justice and fairness, other parties involved ought to have been served.
Justice Omotosho observed that there was no proof of service before the court since the last sitting on December 8, 2025.
He consequently ordered that the ex-parte motion seeking Kanu’s transfer be struck out for lack of competence, bringing a disappointing end to the day’s proceedings for the IPOB leader.
