By Chidimma Okwara,
The high-stakes trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been cleared for immediate progression following the submission of a definitive health assessment report by a panel constituted by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
The NMA panel, established by the Federal High Court to provide an independent and final verdict on the detained leader’s health status, concluded that Mazi Kanu is medically fit to stand trial, thereby resolving the protracted issue that had repeatedly stalled the proceedings.
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For several months, the trial had been beset by disagreements over Kanu’s health, with his legal team insisting his condition required specialist care outside the Department of State Services (DSS) facility, while the prosecution maintained he was receiving adequate treatment in custody.
The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, intervened by ordering the NMA to assemble a team of medical experts to conduct a comprehensive and impartial review. The resulting report now serves as the authoritative medical basis for the court to continue the judicial process.
The finding that Kanu is “medically fit to stand trial” effectively removes the last major administrative roadblock, ensuring that the defendant is physically capable of participating in his defense against charges of terrorism and treasonable felony.
Judicial Consequence: Accelerated Defence
The NMA’s finding immediately paved the way for Justice Omotosho to enforce an accelerated hearing schedule. Having earlier dismissed Kanu’s “no-case submission,” the court moved directly to the defence stage.
Following the receipt of the positive health report, the court directed the defence team, led by Kanu Agabi (SAN), to open its case without further delay. The judge approved a tight deadline, granting the defence six consecutive court days, beginning October 23, 2025, to present all necessary witnesses and conclude its case.
This development signals the court’s firm determination to bring the long-running, politically charged case to its final stages, focusing now solely on the evidence to be presented by the defendant. The confirmation of Kanu’s fitness was the essential prerequisite for this decisive judicial acceleration.
