The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has granted Kabiru Umar, popularly known as Kabiru Sokoto, a fresh 21-day window to formally appeal his 2013 conviction and life imprisonment over his alleged role in the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State.
The appellate court granted the application filed by Kabiru Sokoto seeking an extension of time to appeal the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 20, 2013.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court had sentenced Sokoto to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of offences connected with the 2011 bombing, which claimed at least 37 lives.
The decision of the Court of Appeal was contained in an enrolled order dated August 20, 2026, in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CR/619M1/2026.
A three-member panel comprising Justices Muhammed Danjuma, Ntong F. Ntong and Ele Ojo Enenche granted the application filed on May 13, 2026, while two other prayers were struck out after they were withdrawn.
In his application, Sokoto attributed the delay in pursuing the appeal to his prolonged incarceration, repeated transfers between custodial facilities and the deaths of two lawyers who had previously handled his case.
The appellate court subsequently extended the time within which he could appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CR/38/2013.
The court also directed that Sokoto be given 21 days to file his Notice and Grounds of Appeal.
The enrolled order stated: “The application filed on 13/05/2026 is hereby granted in terms of prayers 1 and 3. Prayers 2 and 4 having been withdrawn are struck out.”
The court further ordered that time be extended for the appellant to appeal against the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on December 20, 2013.
It directed that the appellant/applicant file his Notice and Grounds of Appeal within 21 days, alongside the relevant order at the registry of the lower court.
The order was signed by Josephine J. Ekperobe, Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division.
The ruling gives Sokoto another opportunity to formally challenge the 2013 judgment more than 12 years after his conviction.
However, the Court of Appeal has not overturned his conviction or ruled on the merits of the proposed appeal.
The decision is purely procedural, addressing the delay in initiating the appeal and allowing Sokoto to take the necessary legal steps within the newly granted 21-day period.
