Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, the Medical Doctor at the health facility of the Kuje Correctional Centre.
This follows allegations that Dr. Ehizojie refused to produce the medical report of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Ltd., who is detained at the facility.
The warrant was issued following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, on Tuesday. Gambaryan, who arrived at the court in a wheelchair, is facing charges of money laundering alongside the cryptocurrency firm, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Nwite had previously ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to release Gambaryan’s medical certificate by July 16, after an earlier application by Mordi.
During the Tuesday hearing, Mordi informed the court that the medical report had not been provided despite the court’s order. The judge questioned a prison official about the situation, who stated that he had delivered the court order to Dr. Ehizojie on July 9, 2024.
Ekene Iheanacho, counsel for the EFCC, expressed surprise that the medical officer was not present in court as expected.
In response, Mordi requested the court to issue a bench warrant for Dr. Ehizojie’s arrest and to direct that Gambaryan be transferred to a hospital immediately for a comprehensive medical examination to determine his health status.
While Iheanacho did not contest the need for adequate medical treatment, he opposed placing Gambaryan in hospital remand.
Justice Nwite criticized the non-compliance with the court order, describing it as unfortunate that a government institution would disregard such directives.