The medical panel constituted by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to evaluate the health status of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has not yet completed its assignment. The panel was set up following a court directive aimed at ascertaining whether Kanu is medically fit to continue standing trial on terrorism-related charges.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had, in a ruling delivered on September 26, 2025, ordered the NMA President to assemble a team of qualified medical experts. The purpose of the medical evaluation is to independently assess Kanu’s current state of health and determine if he is in a stable condition to proceed with the legal process against him. The decision came after Kanu’s legal team raised concerns over his deteriorating health while in detention.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, counsel to the prosecution, Suraj Sa’ada (SAN), informed the court that he had received updates indicating that the panel was still in the process of conducting a comprehensive medical examination. According to him, the panel is committed to carrying out a thorough and professional assessment, and as such, requires additional time to conclude its findings.
Sa’ada therefore requested a one-week extension to allow the panel to finalize its report and submit their conclusions to the court. He emphasized that the delay was not deliberate but was necessary to ensure a credible and medically sound evaluation.
In response, defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) did not object to the request for an extension. He expressed his support for the panel being granted sufficient time to carry out a detailed assessment, provided that it would ultimately serve the interest of justice and his client’s well-being.
Following the submissions by both parties, Justice Omotosho granted the request and adjourned further proceedings in the case to October 16, 2025. The court is expected to receive and consider the medical panel’s report on that date, which may influence the direction of the trial depending on its findings.
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