By Peter Omopo
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday stalled the hearing of a medical request filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as the presiding judge referred the case for reassignment.
Justice Musa Liman, who had been handling the motion during the court’s annual vacation, ordered that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment, citing time constraints as the reason. He explained that the vacation court could no longer accommodate the matter, as multiple pending cases were already listed for determination.
Kanu, through his counsel, Uchenna Njoku (SAN), is seeking an order directing his immediate transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical treatment. His legal team, led by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), argued that his health had deteriorated, with medical reports indicating issues with his pancreas and liver, a lump under his armpit, and dangerously low potassium levels.
The defence alleged that despite medical advice recommending his transfer, the Department of State Services (DSS) ignored the doctors’ letter.
At the resumed sitting, Federal Government’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), did not oppose the request but stressed that the application had been filed late in the vacation period. He insisted the court had limited discretion in case management and could not expedite all applications.
Justice Liman, while acknowledging the urgency of the motion, ruled that under Section 46(8) of the Federal High Court Rules, any case that cannot be concluded during vacation must be referred back for reassignment.
The development means Kanu’s medical request, tied to charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, will now be reassigned to another judge.
Kanu, who is standing trial before Justice James Omotosho on terrorism-related charges, had also applied for bail in May, but the motion could not be heard before the court went on recess, leaving him in continued detention.
Would you like me to rewrite this report in a punchier, headline-driven style for a daily newspaper (shorter paragraphs, sharper angles), or keep it in this formal, legal-reporting style for a judiciary-focused audience.
