Key points
- Court in Abuja refuses Nnamdi Kanu’s fast transfer plea today. Judge says Sokoto stay continues while government gets formal notice.
- Kanu asked to move nearer Abuja to prepare his appeal. Lawyers say distance, cost and weak links slow vital meetings.
- January hearing will decide if he leaves Sokoto prison. Case adds fresh heat to long fights over his sentence.
A Federal High Court judge has refused Nnamdi Kanu’s transfer plea. Justice James Omotosho ruled in Abuja that the request must wait. He said the government must first reply before any prison move.
Kanu is serving a life term on seven terrorism related counts. The sentence followed a November ruling by the same court. We reported that decision in our court convicts Nnamdi Kanu report. He was later moved to Sokoto after security fears at Kuje.
Through the Legal Aid Council, Kanu asked to leave Sokoto. He sought a move to Kuje prison or Keffi in Nasarawa. He also listed Suleja and other nearby centres within the court’s reach.
Why Kanu wants to leave Sokoto
Kanu said Sokoto is more than seven hundred kilometres from Abuja. That trip makes visits hard for his lawyers and close family. He argued the long gap hurts work on his planned appeal.
Most relatives and legal helpers live and work in Abuja. They say the cost and stress of trips slow key meetings. Kanu wants a jail near them so talks can happen often.
His team says they need steady access to him for papers. He must read draft appeal records, sign forms and give notes. They fear delays if prison staff must vet each fresh visit.
Kanu was first held at Kuje before a deadly prison break. Officials later raised fears about fresh attacks on that jail again. They moved him to Sokoto, a step his team now challenge.
Judge insists government must be heard
Justice Omotosho refused to grant the move through an ex parte bid. He held that such a strong order needs full hearing first. In his view, one side cannot gain that step alone.
The judge said the Federal Government must be put on notice. He also named the Nigerian Correctional Service as a key party. For wider context on his case, see our Nnamdi Kanu wife reaction story.
Justice Omotosho then fixed 27 January 2026 to hear the motion. On that day, both sides will argue for and against transfer. The court will decide whether he should stay in Sokoto or move.
Next legal steps and wider stakes
After the Legal Aid filing, Kanu also signed a fresh motion. His legal consultant Aloy Ejimakor asked the court to accept it. He wants that motion treated as moved even without Kanu present.
Ejimakor said the Sokoto stay makes it hard to file appeals. He noted how long trips and poor links slow work on key records. Readers can track related talks in our Alex Otti plan for release.
Lawyers stress that the transfer plea is separate from the sentence appeal. Winning the move would not undo the life term already handed down. It would only change where he stays while higher courts review the case.
Still, rights groups and Igbo leaders see the prison choice as important. They argue that fair access to lawyers is key for any jailed person. The Sokoto stay, in their view, makes that fair access harder.
Supporters have already marched, posted and spoken about the sentence and detention. Some ask for a full pardon, others simply want stricter court review. The transfer request now gives them another key date to watch.
Until January, Kanu remains in Sokoto under the present prison rules. His team will prepare fresh papers and wait for the new hearing. They hope a full argument can finally shift where he serves time.
For many, the case now stands for wider questions about law and power. The January ruling on his prison move will be one more signal. It will show how far the courts will bend on security and rights.
