Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out 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.
During proceedings on Tuesday, Kanu’s counsel, Demdoo Asan, a senior legal officer with the Legal Aid Council, informed the court of his intention to withdraw from the case, citing irreconcilable differences.
Asan told the court that since the last adjournment, he had maintained regular phone contact with Kanu’s relatives, who were expected to visit his office to depose to the application but failed to do so despite repeated assurances.
He further stated that Kanu attempted to dictate how the case should be handled, including what counsel should say in court.
“He wants to write down what I would say while in court. As an officer of the court, I cannot in good conscience accept that,” Asan said.
He added that after consulting with his superiors, they agreed that as officers of the court, legal practitioners must conduct cases independently. Otherwise, the applicant would need to seek representation elsewhere.
Consequently, Asan invoked Order 50, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Rules and applied to withdraw from the matter.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho praised the counsel for maintaining the integrity and dignity of the court. He granted permission for Asan and the Legal Aid Council to withdraw from representing Kanu.
The judge also held that the ex-parte motion was incompetent, noting that although the court had earlier directed that all relevant parties be served, there was no evidence of service from the last sitting on December 8, 2025, to January 27, 2026.
Justice Omotosho subsequently ordered that the motion be struck out for lack of competence.
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