A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, has granted the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, access to personal medical examination.
The court also ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to grant him access to his medical records.
In a judgement on Thursday, Justice Binta Nyako held that the IPOB leader was entitled to have access to his medical records, which he earlier requested for a medical examination from doctors of his own choice.
The Department of State Service, DSS, had objected to Kanu’s request for his medical records and access by personal doctor.
In the judgment, justice Nyako held that the DSS objections lacked merit.
The court held that the personal medical examination of Kanu be conducted and supervised by the DSS, adding that the process be recorded and sealed.
The detained IPOB leader had in a suit prayed that his personal doctor be conducting an examination on him to know his health status.
He also prayed for an order of the Court granting him leave to apply for judicial review in the form of an order of Mandamus, compelling the respondents (DSS) to avail him with all his medical records, from June 29, 2021, to date.
Kanu listed some of the records he would require from the DSS, to include; 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.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu Professor Mike Ozekhome SAN expressed satisfaction with the position of the court.
Ozekhome commended Justice Nyako for her courage and Godliness in the judgement and the judgement of the court earlier, striking out eight counts against Kanu.
While appealing to the Nigerian government to release the IPOB leader, Ozekhome noted that, Kunu’s release will ensure tranquility and economic revival in the South East.
He said Nnamdi Kanu was not happy with the sit at home order, explaining that he cries over it, whenever he visits him.
Lateefah Ibrahim
