Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed an ex-parte application filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
At proceedings on Tuesday, counsel representing Kanu, Demdoo Asan, a Senior Legal Officer with the Legal Aid Council, informed the court of his decision to withdraw from the matter, citing irreconcilable differences with the applicant.
Asan told the court that since the last adjourned date, he had been in constant communication with Kanu’s relatives, who were expected to depose to the application. However, he said they failed to honour repeated promises to appear at his office.
He further disclosed that Kanu attempted to dictate how the case should be handled, including instructing counsel on what to say in court.
“He wants to write down what I would say while in court. But as an officer of the court, I cannot in good faith accept that,” Asan stated.
The counsel added that after consulting with his superiors at the Legal Aid Council, they unanimously agreed that legal practitioners must be allowed to exercise professional judgment in handling cases.
Invoking Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules, Asan formally applied to withdraw from representing Kanu in the matter.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho commended the counsel for upholding the dignity and integrity of the court and granted leave for both the lawyer and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from the case.
The judge further ruled that the ex-parte motion was incompetent, noting that other parties in the matter were not served as directed by the court.
“In the interest of justice and fairness, this court directed that other parties involved in the matter be served on notice. However, from December 8, 2025, to today, January 27, 2026, there is no proof of service before this court,” Justice Omotosho held.
Consequently, the court struck out the ex-parte application for lacking competence.