The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, leave to seek an order of mandamus to compel the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow unrestricted access to medical care. .
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2341/2022, Nnamdi Kanu, through a legal team led by Mike Ozekhome and Ifeanyi Ejiofor, requested an independent medical examination to assess his health condition.
Justice Binta Nyako heard the ex-parte application filed by Nnamdi Kanu and directed the legal team to serve all relevant processes on the DSS and the Director General, who are the first and second respondents in the matter.
Kanu requests from DSS admission records, medical and clinical records, nursing records, laboratory test results, pharmaceutical records, radiological scans, images, blood transfusion records, physiotherapy and rehabilitative treatment records, clinical findings, diagnoses and treatment records provided.
The IPOB leader claimed that his health condition worsened after his detention and was accused of torture, inhumane treatment, and degradation, including mild cardiac arrest before returning to Nigeria.
He also pointed out that Section 7 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017, provides that a person arrested, detained, or subjected to custodial investigation has the right to demand a physical and psychological examination by an independent doctor of his choice, which must be carried out. done outside the influence of the police or security forces.
In his verification affidavit, Kanu told the court that before his arrest and rendition, he visited a Cardiology Specialist every week for check-ups and medical treatment. He also said that his health condition has continued to deteriorate since he was kept in solitary confinement and subjected to mental and psychological torture on a daily basis.
Kanu’s medical report, issued by the medical specialist who managed him before his arrest and airing, showed that his health had started to decline. Despite the efforts of the medical personnel to treat him, they could not find the reason for the decrease in potassium in the blood and used him as a guinea pig for trial-and-error exercises, changing drugs and increasing the dose without. improvement in his health.
Kanu’s complete medical records and the Respondent’s report are essential for an independent medical examination and to determine the cause of his deteriorating health condition.
The Federal High Court in Abuja granted leave to seek an order of mandamus to compel the DSS to access his medical records and allow him to receive an independent medical examination.