The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied the application to transfer Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to the National Hospital.
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Justice James Omotosho gave the ruling on Thursday, relying on a report by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) which stated that Kanu is fit to stand trial.
According to the report, the NMA’s evaluation showed that Kanu’s health conditions are not life-threatening and that the medical facility within the Department of State Services (DSS) premises is adequately equipped to handle his treatment.
In court on Thursday, counsel to the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomoplo, informed the court that the NMA report was filed on October 13 and that a copy was also served on the defence team the same day.
Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), confirmed that they received and read the report.
Justice Omotosho stated that he would rely on the NMA report and held that the defendant is fit enough to begin his defence.
He granted the defence team the same six days earlier given to the prosecution, to be taken consecutively.
However, Kanu Agabi requested that the court fix one day for Kanu and his legal team to meet privately to prepare their defence. He explained that they feared their discussions at the DSS facility were not private and that the DSS might be eavesdropping on them.
The judge agreed and granted their request, fixing Wednesday, October 22, 2025, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. He said he would clear his court during that time to allow only Nnamdi Kanu and his counsel to speak privately.
Justice Omotosho then fixed Thursday, October 23, for Kanu to begin his defence. The trial will run for six days – October 23,nb 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30.
Details of the NMA Report
Although the court ordered the NMA to set up a panel to examine Kanu’s health on September 26, 2025, the report obtained by our correspondent showed that the investigation was actually conducted on September 23, 2025, three days before the official order was issued.
The NMA panel’s assessment found that Kanu suffers from the following conditions:
- Hypertensive heart disease with suboptimal blood pressure control
- Refractive error/presbyopia
- Inflamed stage 2 nasal pterygium (right eye)
- Dry eye disease
- Chronic kidney disease stage 3A secondary to hypertension/benign prostatic enlargement (BPE)
- Obstructive nephropathy secondary to BPE
- Cervical spondyloradiculopathy
- Bilateral axillary lipoma
- Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal septal deviation
The panel recommended certain medications for Kanu, advised that he discontinue some others, and proposed several medical procedures, including:
- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), septoplasty, and turbinoplasty
- Excision biopsy of axillary lipoma
- Cystoscopy and uroflowmetry
- Cervical spine MRI
- Relief of bladder outlet obstruction
In summary, the report stated:
“The patient’s condition, as of the date of our examination on September 23, 2025, does not appear life-threatening or incapacitating for him to stand trial, following our medical recommendations for his health improvement.”
Regarding the DSS medical centre, the NMA report noted that:
“The facility is adequately equipped to manage the patient’s medical conditions but will require additional equipment and professional support to perform the recommended surgical procedures.”
The main report was signed by the eight members of the NMA panel, while the addendum report, which focused on the DSS medical facility’s adequacy, was signed by NMA President Dr. Bala Mohammed Audu and Secretary-General Dr. Benjamin Egbo.
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