Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has referred a motion filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Chief Judge (CJ) of the court for reassignment.
Kanu, through his counsel, Uchenna Njoku, SAN, is seeking an order directing his transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical treatment.
At Thursday’s resumed hearing, Justice Liman ruled that the matter should be returned to the CJ, citing time constraints as the court’s annual vacation ends on September 15. The judge noted that more than 30 cases had been listed for the day, but only six could be heard due to limited time.
Although Kanu’s legal team argued that the motion was urgent because of health concerns, the judge observed that it was filed late and could not be determined within the vacation period.
Counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, did not oppose the application but remarked that the timing was unfortunate. He stressed that the court had discretion in prioritizing cases, adding:
“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.”
Consequently, Justice Liman ordered that the case file be referred to the court registry for reassignment by the Chief Judge.
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