A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a week’s extension to the medical panel set up by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to assess the health status of detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The time extension is meant to enable the panel to conclude its assignment.
The extension of time became necessary owing to the panel’s inability to conclude its assignment within the eight days allocated to it by the court.
In a ruling on September 26, Justice James Omotosho ordered the NMA president to, among others, set up a team of medical experts to examine Kanu’s health status and ascertain whether or not he is still fit to undergo his ongoing terrorism trial.
The judge said it was necessary to require the NMA, which is the body of medical practitioners in the country, to nominate experts to ascertain the defendant’s health status in view of the conflicting claims by the defence and prosecution on the state of Kanu’s health.
At the mention of the case yesterday, counsel to the prosecution, Suraj Sa’ada (SAN), told the court that he was informed that the medical panel was yet to conclude its assignment.
Sa’ada said the panel planned to do a thorough job and should be given adequate time.
He suggested that the panel be given another week to enable it to conclude its task.
The defence lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), did not object to the one-week adjournment the lawyer to the prosecution sought.
Justice Omotosho adjourned till October 16 for the NMA team to submit its report and determine what next steps to take on the case.
