A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to set up a team of between eight to 10 members to determine whether the health challenges claimed by the detained self acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu were such that could prevent him from further standing trial.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Friday while ruling on an application by Kanu, seeking to be transferred to a private ward in the National Hospital for urgent medical attention for alleged life threatening ailments.
Justice Omotosho, who reviewed arguments by Kanu’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and that of the prosecution, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), ordered that the team, to be constituted by the NMA’s President, should assess the health facilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) to determine if they were adequate to effectively take care of Kanu’s ailments.
According to the judge, the team is also to determine whether or not it was necessary to transfer Kanu to the National Hospital as he requested and whether Kanu’s medical status was such that could make him unfit to continue to stand trial.
The judge also ordered that the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital or his representative should be a member of the team.
Justice Omotosho ordered that the report of the team’s findings should be signed by both its Chairman and Secretary and which should be filed in the court’s registry within eight days from today.
(Credit The Nation)
