A Federal High Court has turned down an application seeking a production warrant that would have enabled the appearance of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in Abuja for the formal compilation of records needed for his appeal.
The settlement of records at the Federal High Court registry is a crucial step in transmitting appeal documents to the Court of Appeal.
Kanu’s lawyer, Barr. Aloy Ejimakor, and his brother, Prince Emmanuel, raised the alarm in separate comments made on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ejimakor, writing on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, shared a copy of the court summons summoning Kanu to appear at the Federal High Court on November 28 for the settlement of documents connected to an appeal he filed before the judgment delivered on November 20.
He wrote:
“This is a summons directing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be present on November 28 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for settlement of record relating to the appeal he filed prior to the November 20 judgment. A production warrant is needed for Sokoto Prison to bring him to Abuja, but the Court declined to issue it.”
The lawyer expressed concern that although the court officially summoned Kanu, it refused to authorize the order required to transport him from custody—an order without which he cannot be produced in court. He warned that the refusal may impede Kanu’s right to appear in person, affecting due process and fair hearing guarantees.
Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel, in comments reported by Daily Post on Thursday morning, also criticized the court’s refusal to issue the necessary warrant for prison authorities in Sokoto to bring the detained IPOB leader to Abuja.
He shared documents from the Abuja Federal High Court registry showing the summons instructing Kanu to appear on November 28, 2025, for the settlement of records tied to his appeal.
Recall that Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, after being convicted on terrorism-related charges by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Prison.
