Terrorism: Court Says Okah Medically Fit For Trial
SAN FRANCISCO, May 12, (THEWILL) â€' A Federal High Court in Abuja Monday declared detained terror suspect, Mr. Charles Okah medically fit to face trial for his alleged complicity in the 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja that killed and wounded several persons.
Charles, the brother of convicted mastermind of the bombing, Mr. Henry Okah, who is doing time in a South African jail, was considered fit for trial by Justice Gabriel Kolawole upon receiving the report of the psychiatric evaluation carried out on the accused by experts at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Justice Kolawole hence directed attorneys in the case to choose a date for the commencement of trial.
Okah is being tried alongside Obi Nwanbueze in the terror trial that had been stalled lately following the the Federal Government's inability to ascertain Okah's mental health status.
Justice Kolawole had, in view of Okah's strange behavior, ordered the government to present him before experts at the National Hospital, Abuja for psychiatric evaluation. Okah once urinated in open court during proceedings.
His lawyer, John Ainetor from the law firm of Festus Keyamo had consistently claimed that Okah was too ill to stand trial.
However, at Monday's session, Justice Kolawole upon receiving the medical report on Okah handed it the prosecution lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN) and Ainetor to peruse.
While Ainetor made move to react after reading the report, the judge stopped him on the ground that a person's medical report was not what should be made a public issue. The judge later asked both lawyers to pick a date for the commencement of trial.
Ainetor informed the court about his pending application dated January 13, 2014. He said his application is seeking an order of the court granting leave to Okah to be examined by an independent private medical practitioner to ascertain his mental and physical health status.
He added that the application is also seeking an order granting leave for independent private medical practitioner to produce a medical/scientific analysis/report on the side effect of Epilim Sodium Valproate (ESV) on Okah.
In view of Ainetor's position, the judge directed parties to file the necessary processes and adjourned to May 16 for argument.