Prisons ask for seven days to carry out comprehensive medical check-up on Maina
Former chairman of defunct Police Pension Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, will have to stay much longer in prison custody as authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) on Thursday asked for a week to carry out a comprehensive health report on him.
The request followed Maina’s appearance in court on Thursday in a wheelchair. A ruling was expected in Maina’s bail application on Thursday.
Following Maina’ absence in court last Tuesday for his trial on health ground, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered the Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (Prisons) in charge of welfare and medical, to conduct a thorough examination of Maina, to ascertain his health status and report to the court.
At the resumed hearing of the matter Thursday, prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court that the order of the court was forwarded to the Deputy Comptroller, Medical and Welfare of the NCS, H. B Kori on November 6, 2019.
Abubakar said Kori, in a letter dated November 6 and served on the prosecution on Thursday requested for one week to comply with the order of the court, so as to carry out a comprehensive medical examination on Maina to ascertain his state of health and to know if he (Maina) is medically fit to stand his trial.
This will require Maina to spend one more week in custody of the Correctional Centre.
The prosecution counsel then said Kori’s appeal was reasonable and urged the court to grant the request and to adjourn the case to November 21, 2019, for the continuation of trial.
With the agreement of counsel in the matter, Justice Abang adjourned the matter to November 21 and 22 for the continuation of trial.
Meanwhile, Justice Abang accused journalists covering the proceedings of bias in their reportage. The judge accused journalists of not reflecting the kind gestures of the court in their reports, adding, “Some of them serve their personal interest, rather than national interest.”
He said when the court allows defendants to sit down during trial or the day he allowed Maina to take his drugs in the open court, the press refused to mention all these kind gestures of the court in their report.
“Lead counsel to the first defendant, Ahmed Raji (SAN) walked out on the court during the proceedings of October 30, the press did not report that, even when Joe Kyari-gadzama (SAN) threatened the court, while arguing for adjournment, the press didn’t mention any of these,” he said but misinformed the public that he ordered Maina not to look directly at him in court.