A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria issued a bench warrant on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 for the arrest of Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, the medical doctor at Kuje Correctional Centre.
The warrant was issued due to his alleged refusal to produce the medical report of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Ltd, who is detained at the facility.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, SAN. Gambaryan, who is facing a money laundering charge along with the cryptocurrency firm, was brought to court in a wheelchair earlier in the day.
Justice Nwite had previously ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to release Gambaryan’s medical certificate by July 16. This order followed an application by Mordi, who had also asked the court to summon Ehizojie to explain his non-compliance with the earlier court directive.
Gambaryan collapsed in court on May 23 due to alleged ill-health, prompting concerns about his deteriorating condition. On May 27, the defence law firm Aluko & Oyebode raised alarms about his health, warning that he might die in custody.
During the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Mordi informed the court that the judge’s order had not been complied with. A prison official present in court confirmed that the order was delivered to the doctor on July 9 but expressed surprise at Ehizojie’s absence.
EFCC counsel Ekene Iheanacho also noted his expectation that the medical officer would be present in court. Mordi then requested a bench warrant to ensure Ehizojie’s appearance at the next hearing and asked for an order to have Gambaryan placed under hospital remand for a thorough medical examination.
“My client came in here on a wheelchair. He has been complaining of back pain,” Mordi stated, adding, “We need to be careful of the life in our hands.”
While Iheanacho agreed that the defendant should receive adequate treatment, he opposed the hospital remand request.
Justice Nwite expressed his displeasure with the non-compliance by a government institution, stating, “I hereby make an order of bench warrant on the medical doctor at the Kuje Correctional Service, to appear before this court.”
The judge also ordered that Gambaryan be taken to Nizamiye Hospital for 24-hour medical care under full security surveillance.
The trial was adjourned to October 11 and 18 for continuation. Earlier in the session, Dr. Olubukola Akinwunmi, Head of Payment Policy and Regulation Division at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), testified and was cross-examined by Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, counsel for Binance, the first defendant in the criminal charge.
