The Federal Government on Friday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it is opposed to the transfer of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the National Hospital for medical attention.
Government lawyers, led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), faulted a medical report presented by Kanu’s private physicians, led by retired Professor of Medicine, Dr. Martin Aghaji, which recommended that the IPOB leader be moved either to the National Hospital or a foreign medical facility.
Awomolo told the court that a team of medical experts from the Department of State Services (DSS), headed by Dr. Mohammed Nasir, had already assessed Kanu and confirmed he could be adequately managed at the DSS medical facility.
He added that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) had set up a seven-man independent panel to review the discrepancies between Kanu’s private medical report and that of the DSS doctors. The government further alleged that Prof. Aghaji unilaterally changed Kanu’s medication without involving DSS medical personnel, thereby questioning the credibility of the private report.
The prosecution also warned that moving Kanu to the National Hospital could disrupt services for thousands of patients and pose potential security risks.
However, Kanu’s lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), argued that the DSS facility lacked the capacity to manage the IPOB leader’s deteriorating health, which reportedly involves complications with his liver, pancreas, dangerously low potassium levels, and a developing lump under his armpit. He assured the court that transferring Kanu to the National Hospital would not threaten security since the facility is government-owned.
Justice James Omotosho, after hearing both sides, announced that his ruling on the matter would be delivered today.
