Court issues bench warrant against Kuje prison doctor

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, the Medical Doctor at the health facility of Kuje Correctional Centre.

The warrant was issued over the alleged refusal to produce the medical report of Tigran Gambaryan, the detained executive of Binance Holdings Ltd.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, SAN.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gambaryan was whisked into Court 9 of the high-rise building in a wheelchair earlier in the morning.

Gambaryan, alongside the cryptocurrency firm, is facing a money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Nwite had, on July 5, ordered the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to release the medical certificate of Gambaryan on or before July 16 (today).

The judge gave the order following an application by Mordi.

Mordi had prayed the court to summon Ehizojie to explain why he had allegedly refused to make available his client’s medical report despite the earlier court order.

NAN reports that Gambaryan had, on May 23, collapsed in the open court over alleged ill-health.

The defence law firm, Aluko & Oyebode, had also, on May 27, raised alarms that the cryptocurrency firm’s executive, might die in Kuje Correctional Centre over his alleged deteriorating health.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Mordi said in open court that the judge’s order had not been complied with.

The judge then asked a prison official who brought Gambaryan to court about the development.

The prison official said he got the court order and delivered the order to the doctor on July 9 (Tuesday).

“He is not here and I expected him to be here,” he added.

The EFCC counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, told the judge that he thought that the medical officer would be in court today.

Mordi then prayed the court to issue a bench warrant against the medical officer of the correctional centre to be produced in court in the next adjourned date.

The lawyer also asked the court to make an order for his client to be given hospital remand immediately so that a thorough medical examination could be carried out on him to know his true state of health.

“My client came in here on a wheelchair.  He has been complaining of a back pain.

“We need to be careful of the life in our hands,” Mordi said.

Iheanacho, who did not dispute the fact that the defendant should be given adequate treatment, disagreed that Gambaryan should be placed in hospital remand.

After listening to counsel’s submissions, Nwite said it was unfortunate that a government institution would be treating a court order with levity.

“I hereby make an order of bench arrant on the medical doctor at the Kuje Correctional Service, to appear before this court,” he said.

He also ordered that Gambaryan be taken to the Nizamiye Hospital for medicare for 24 hours, at any time of his choice but under full security surveillance.

The judge adjourned the matter until Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 for continuation of trial.

Earlier, Dr. Olubukola Akinwunmi, Head, Payment Policy and Regulation Division at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), gave evidence and was cross-examined by Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, counsel for Binance, the 1st defendant in the criminal charge.