The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to set up a panel of medical experts within eight days to evaluate the health status of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice James Omotosho instructed the NMA President to present the committee’s findings within the same period, which would help determine if Kanu should be transferred to the National Hospital for treatment.
The judge also ordered the committee to review the facilities at the Department of State Services (DSS) hospital to confirm if they are sufficient to handle Kanu’s medical needs.
According to the court, the panel should consist of between eight and ten NMA members, including a cardiologist and a neurologist, while the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital must be part of the team. Justice Omotosho further clarified that the panel could use any hospital in Nigeria for its investigation.
The court’s decision came after conflicting medical reports presented by DSS doctors and Kanu’s private consultants.
Earlier, DSS counsel Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo disclosed the NMA’s involvement while opposing Kanu’s legal team’s application for his transfer. Awomolo stated, “a team of medical experts had already visited Kanu in DSS custody to assess his health,” adding that the DSS team, led by Dr Mohammed Nasir, concluded that Kanu’s condition could be managed at their facilities.
In contrast, Kanu’s private consultants, led by Professor Martin Aghaji, argued that his worsening condition required immediate transfer to the National Hospital and even recommended possible treatment abroad.
The DSS dismissed Aghaji’s findings as “exaggerated and suspicious,” noting that he allegedly altered Kanu’s medication without consulting DSS doctors who had treated him for four years.
Awomolo also argued that “transferring Kanu to the National Hospital would disrupt services and pose security risks,” stressing that the government was committed to his safety and open to allowing him access to medical experts within DSS custody.
However, Kanu’s lead counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, maintained that the application for transfer was based on Aghaji’s report. He said the DSS lacked the capacity to handle Kanu’s ailments and added, “it was in the interest of justice that Kanu remain alive to face the terrorism charges against him.” Ikpeazu also noted that his team would not oppose the NMA’s intervention if the court mandated it.
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