The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to set up a panel of experts within eight days to evaluate the health status of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ordered the NMA president to submit the committee’s report within the stipulated timeframe to determine whether Kanu should be transferred to the National Hospital for treatment.
The judge further directed the committee to assess the DSS hospital to verify its capacity to manage Kanu’s medical needs. He said the panel, which must include between eight and ten members, should feature a cardiologist, a neurologist, and the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital. The panel is also permitted to use any hospital in the country for its evaluation.
The decision came after conflicting medical reports were presented to the court. The DSS medical team, led by Dr. Mohammed Nasir, insisted that Kanu’s condition could be managed within its facilities. In contrast, Kanu’s private consultants, headed by Professor Martin Aghaji, a retired medical expert from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, argued that his health was deteriorating and required urgent transfer to the National Hospital, with possible treatment abroad.
The DSS dismissed Aghaji’s recommendations as exaggerated and suspicious, accusing him of altering Kanu’s prescribed medication without consulting the security agency’s doctors, who have treated him for four years.
DSS lead counsel, Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, opposed the transfer application, warning that moving Kanu to the National Hospital could disrupt services and pose security risks. He added that the federal government remained committed to Kanu’s safety and would allow him access to medical experts of his choice within DSS facilities.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, however, maintained that the transfer request was necessary, stressing that the DSS lacked the capacity to manage his client’s ailments. He argued that ensuring Kanu’s survival was vital to allow him to stand trial on terrorism charges. Ikpeazu said the defence had no objection to the NMA’s intervention, provided it was ordered by the court.