Team of medical experts empanelled by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said the ailment complained about by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is not life-threatening; hence, he is fit to stand trial.
 
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South-East Peaceful Youths Integration for Tinubu (SEPYIFT), yesterday, advocated peaceful dialogue, not protest, for the release of Kanu, noting that prominent Igbo leaders had been making serious cases for his freedom.
 
However, Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI) faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent call for the unconditional release of Kanu, describing his position as “foolhardy, arrogant and deeply contradictory.”
 
The NMA team was ordered by Justice James Omotosho, midway into Kanu’s terrorism trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja, to ascertain Kanu’s actual health status following conflicting claims on the issue by medical experts engaged by the prosecution and the defence.
 
In the panel’s report, submitted to the court on October 13 by the prosecution team led by Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN),  part of which was read in the open court during yesterday’s proceedings, it was stated that the defendant’s ailment was not life-threatening.
 
The team concluded that Kanu was fit to stand trial.
 
Based on the information contained in the report and in the absence of any objection from lawyers to the parties, Justice Omotosho said the court was convinced that the defendant could proceed with the trial.
 
Omotosho subsequently granted the defendant six consecutive days, beginning from October 23, to open and close his defence.
 
The judge granted an oral application by defence lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), that Kanu’s legal team be granted a private consultation opportunity with the defendant, outside the premises of the Department of State Services (DSS).
 
Agabi said the defendant’s legal team was afraid that its consultation with him (Kanu) could be tapped or recorded by the DSS.
 
By the court’s directive, the private consultation meeting will be held within the courtroom between 9.00am and noon on October 22, while the trial will resume on October 23.

In separate statements by Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and SEPYIFT President, Damain Onu, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, the duo maintained that the protest might mar the peaceful approaches of leaders for his release, pleading with the Igbo to shun the protest and allow the leaders to continue with their peaceful initiatives.
 
They described the protest planned by Sowore and Atiku as anti-Igbo and a calculated endeavour to incite revolutionary unrest against President Tinubu’s administration, with the unfortunate inclusion of the Igbo people as unwitting sacrificial lambs in this political theatre, saying that they would not allow them to drag the Igbo into it.

DWI, in a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communication, Dr Tunji Bamidele, accused Atiku of political hypocrisy and inconsistency, saying his position raised questions about his commitment to justice, national unity and the rule of law.

He said: “Atiku’s political philosophy and personal integrity can be characterised as foolhardy, arrogant and deeply contradictory, raising serious questions about his commitment to justice and national unity.
 
“Atiku, in his pursuit of political capital, has chosen to align himself with a figure accused of grave offences against the Nigerian state.”