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IPOB: Judge transfers Nnamdi Kanu’s case to CJ

Published

3 months ago

September 15, 2025

leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu with some of his lawyers

IPOB: Judge transfers Nnamdi Kanu’s case to CJ

Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on Monday, sent back to the chief judge a motion filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, for reassignment.

Mr Kanu, in the motion ex parte, is seeking an order from the court to transfer him to Abuja National Hospital for urgent medical attention.

Mr Liman, in a brief ruling, made the order transferring the case file back to the chief judge, following an application by Mr Kanu’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku, considering that the court’s annual vacation would end today. The State Security Service’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, did not oppose Mr Uchenna’s application.

Earlier, upon resuming the hearing in the case, the judge hinted that there was no time left for the vacation court to decide Mr Kanu’s motion.

He said that not less than 30 cases were listed for the day’s proceedings by the registrar, and since the court would be unable to take all of them, the cases were pruned down to six.

The judge stated that, in accordance with Section 46(8) of the FHC Rules, any case that could not be completed within the vacation period would have to be sent back to the CJ for reassignment.

He said that, though Mr Kanu’s motion was an urgent one due to health grounds, it was filed late.

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Responding, Mr Awomolo said that in case management, the court had the overriding decision on which cases to proceed with and which not to proceed.

“Your lordship cannot perform any magic,” he said.

Mr Njoku said their application dated September 1 was filed on the same date.

“I was served a few minutes ago with the counter affidavit of the complainant/respondent (SSS). My lord, I haven’t read it,” the lawyer said.

He then sought the court’s leave to confer with Mr Awomolo.

“Having conferred with the lead counsel for the complainant/respondent and in light of the remarks my lord made this morning which are sensible and clearly persuasive to the bar and given that the vacation ends today and in order not to impose a date on your learned brother in whom the substantive case is pending, we will be asking for an adjournment,” Mr Njoku said.

Mr Awomolo said it was unfortunate that the matter was coming up rather late.

“Had it been that they filed the application earlier, it would have been taken during vacation. But we are ready to take the motion any time, any day,” he said.

Mr Liman consequently ordered that the case file be referred to the registry for reassignment. Mr Liman had fixed today for the hearing of Mr Kanu’s application.

The judge had granted the motion ex parte, asking for permission from the court to hear the application during the vacation period due to its urgency. He then ordered Mr Kanu’s lawyer to serve all the processes and the hearing notice on the SSS so that the security agency could respond appropriately.

Mr Kanu, in the ex parte motion with charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, had sought relief.

Mr Kanu, in the motion filed by Kanu Agabi, SAN, sought an order “granting leave for the applicant’s motion dated 1st September, 2025 to be heard before the vacation judge.”

Giving an 11-ground argument why their request should be granted, Mr Agabi said Mr Kanu is presently standing trial before Justice James Omotosho in charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.

He said Mr Kanu, on May 19, filed an application praying the court to admit him to bail pending the hearing and determination of the terrorism charge.

The lawyer, however, stated that the application could not be heard before the court’s annual vacation, hence his continued detention.

According to him, while awaiting the resumption of court activities, the applicant’s health took a worrisome decline, necessitating the invitation of doctors to carry out a thorough and extensive examination of the applicant.

“The examination revealed issues with his health, including organs such as his pancreas and liver, as well as an emerging lump underneath his armpit and dangerously low levels of potassium.

“The doctors have recommended that he be moved to the national hospital as an interim measure to afford him medical attention and forestall further decline.

“The applicant’s health is seriously deteriorating, considering the nature of his confinement, thereby making more pressing the need to bring this application and have it heard by a vacation judge,” Mr Agabi said.

He alleged that a letter from the doctors to the director-general of the SSS, advising the transfer of Mr Kanu, had gone unanswered.

IPOB: Judge transfers Nnamdi Kanu’s case to CJ

(NAN)

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Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Published

7 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

File photo

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.

Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.

“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.

A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.

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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.

While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.

“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.

He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

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FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

Published

7 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Almajiri school

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.

The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.

Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.

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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.

He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.

According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.

Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

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Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Published

13 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.

Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.

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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.

The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.