By Peter Omopo
Abuja, September 26, 2025 — The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to set up a panel of medical experts to verify the health status of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, within eight days.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice James Omotosho directed the NMA President to ensure the committee’s report is submitted within the stipulated timeframe to determine whether Kanu should be transferred to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.
The judge ordered that the panel should consist of eight to ten members, including a cardiologist, a neurologist, and the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital. The committee is also mandated to inspect the Department of State Services (DSS) hospital to assess its capacity to cater to Kanu’s medical needs, while retaining the liberty to evaluate other hospitals across the country.
The decision follows conflicting medical reports presented by the DSS medical team and Kanu’s private consultants.
According to DSS counsel, Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), a team of experts had already examined Kanu in custody, with DSS doctors led by Dr Mohammed Nasir insisting that his condition could be managed at their facility. Awomolo opposed Kanu’s legal team’s request for transfer to the National Hospital, warning that such a move could pose security risks and disrupt hospital operations.
However, Kanu’s private consultants, led by Professor Martin Aghaji, a retired professor of medicine from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, argued that his worsening health required urgent transfer and even hinted at the possibility of treatment abroad. The DSS dismissed Aghaji’s recommendations as exaggerated and raised concerns over his alleged unilateral changes to Kanu’s medication.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), maintained that the request for transfer was based on credible findings and that the DSS lacked the necessary facilities to manage his client’s ailments. He stressed that it was in the interest of justice that Kanu be kept alive to face the terrorism charges against him.
While objecting to foreign treatment, the DSS signaled readiness to allow Kanu access to medical experts of his choice, provided it was within DSS custody.
With the court’s directive, the NMA panel is now expected to provide an independent assessment that could determine the next stage of Kanu’s medical care.
