The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has confirmed that it has completed the court-ordered medical examination on the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and submitted its report to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The Secretary-General of the NMA, Dr. Ben Egbo, disclosed this in an interview on Sunday, following the directive of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had ordered the association to constitute a medical panel to assess Kanu’s health condition.
Justice James Omotosho had, on September 26, directed the NMA to set up a committee of medical experts within eight days and present its findings to the court to determine whether Kanu should be transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the National Hospital, Abuja for treatment.
Egbo confirmed that the NMA promptly complied with the court’s directive.
“The court gave an order that we should do it within eight days, and immediately the Department of State Services wrote to us, we summoned a committee of seven doctors with one coordinator, making it eight,” Egbo said.
“We had seven doctors from the seven geopolitical zones of Nigeria with different fields of specialty in Ophthalmology, Neurology, Urology, Gastroenterology, and other various areas of specialty.”
According to him, the medical panel examined Kanu at the DSS facility in Abuja, after which the committee submitted its findings to the association for onward transmission to the Attorney General’s office.
“They went there, examined him (Kanu), and the committee wrote their report to us, and it was sent to the Attorney General of the Federation,” he confirmed.
Justice Omotosho, in his ruling, had also instructed the NMA panel to assess the medical facilities at the DSS clinic to determine whether they were adequate to handle Kanu’s health needs, and to use any hospital in the country for the evaluation if necessary.
Egbo, however, declined to provide details of the report, saying any further inquiries should be directed to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“We have submitted the report to the Attorney General’s office as instructed. Anyone seeking details should contact the Ministry of Justice,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kanu’s legal team has petitioned the World Medical Association, alleging inadequate medical attention and deteriorating health conditions while in DSS custody.
