Court Rejects Kanu’s ‘No-case’ Submission, Gives NMA 8 Days to Confirm his Health Condition

By Our Reporter

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, to constitute a team of medical experts to ascertain the health condition of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The court also rejected the no-case submission made by Kanu in his ongoing alleged terrorism trial.

The court, in the ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho, held that report from the medical experts should be submitted to it within eight days.

It held that the report would assist the court to decide on an application that Kanu, who is facing seven-count terrorism charge, filed to be transferred to the National Hospital in Abuja for proper medical attention.

Justice Omotosho ordered the medical team to visit the medical facility of the Department of State Services, DSS, to confirm if it has the capacity to meet Kanu’s health needs.

He held that the committee set up by the NMA is at liberty to make use of any hospital in the country to carry out its investigations.

According to the court, the committee should comprise between eight and 10 members of the NMA and should have a cardiologist and a neurologist.

More so, the court ordered that the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital must also be a member of the committee.

Meanwhile, Justice Omotosho, in a ruling on Friday, held that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against Kanu to warrant that he be ordered to enter his defence.

The judge who overruled Kanu’s no-case submission, found that the evidence led by the prosecution and the exhibits it tendered have raised serious allegations of Kanu’s involvement in terrorism activities to warrant that he be given the opportunity to defend himself.

Justice Omotosho said the evidence and exhibits and the need for him to demonstrate and lead evidence on his allegations of an extra ordinary rendition, requires that the defendant is given the opportunity and afforded his fundamental rights to fair hearing to be allowed to enter his defence.

Kanu is being prosecuted by the DSS on a seven-count charge bordering of his alleged involvement in terrorism activities.