A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a request filed by Nnamdi Kanu. The application sought his relocation from the Sokoto correctional facility. The decision was delivered on Tuesday, January 27.
Justice James Omotosho ruled that the motion was incompetent. According to the court, earlier instructions were ignored.
The ruling immediately brought an end to the relocation bid. Moreover, it highlighted the strict legal process governing such applications.
The request was filed as a motion ex parte.
However, the court said that approach was flawed from the start. Justice Omotosho recalled an earlier directive issued months ago.
He explained that the court had already warned Kanu to correct the filing. The directive was given on December 8, 2025. Kanu was ordered to convert the application to a motion on notice.
The judge stressed that affected parties must be informed. This requirement, he noted, is fundamental to fair hearing. However, the instruction was not followed.
“In respect of the application before this court, it has to do with an application that was brought incompetently, as per seeking the movements of the convict from where he is presently kept,” Justice Omotosho said.
He added that the court had shown restraint earlier.
“The application is not competent. However, in the interest of justice, when it came up, the court gave a hint and urged that the same be converted,” he said.
Justice Omotosho noted that the applicant failed to act within time. No new motion was filed before the court. As a result, the matter could not proceed.
“The applicant, having not filed the motion on notice today, the 27th day of January, 2026, there is no application for determination before this court,” the judge said. “It is based on this that the motion ex parte is struck out as there is nothing to be determined.”
Therefore, the request was struck out entirely.
The ruling leaves no pending application on the issue.
Even high-profile cases must follow due process. Moreover, courts are unlikely to overlook such lapses.
Supporters of Kanu may now consider alternative legal steps.
