The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has slated July 20, 2023, for ruling on an application brought before it by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu seeking to access his medical records and medical Doctor for a second opinion on his ailments.
The trial Judge, Justice Binta Nyako fixed the date on Tuesday after Kanu’s counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, (SAN) and counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), A.M. Danlami, adopted their written addresses and presented their arguments for and against the application.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Ozekhome adopted his process in the application seeking an order of mandamus compelling the DSS to allow his client unhindered access to his medical doctor among other prayers.
Kanu, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 2341/2022, said he would need his doctors to conduct an independent examination to ascertain his state of health.
He is specifically praying to the court for an order, granting him unhindered access to his medical doctors to enable them to conduct an independent examination of his present deteriorating health condition, as earlier ordered by Justice Nyako, on October 21, 2021, and as required by the express provisions of Section 7 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017.
Kanu listed some of the records he would require from the DSS as, his admission records, medical and clinical notes, nursing notes, observation charts and documentation during treatment or stay-in-hospital, laboratory test results, pharmaceutical records, radiological scans, images and reports, blood transfusion records, physiotherapy and rehabilitative treatment records, clinical findings, as well as diagnosis and treatment prescribed records.
Counsel to DSS, A.M. Danlami while adopting his written address opposed Kanu’s application, stating that available records show that Kanu is clinically stable.
Danlami then, urged the court to discountenance Kanu’s application for the sake of justice and national security.
Justice Nyako adjourned till July 20 to deliver a rule on Kanu’s application.
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