A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered that a member of Peter Obi’s Obidient movement member, Obiajulu Ujah who caused a stir at the Airport in Abuja be remanded for one month medical observation at the Kuje prison to enable medical experts determine the state of his mental status.
Remember Ujah caused a scene aboard an Abuja-Lagos Ibom flight recently. The ex-Zenith staff member addressed his co-passengers not to allow the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be sworn in, incurring forceful deboarding, arrest and prosecution for criminal intimidation and inciting public disturbance.
It followed that his lawyer, Ejike Ugwu attributed the accused’s action to mental health problem and on that account said it was improper to press charges against his client to the disregard of the police authorities who went ahead to arraign him.
At Thursday’s hearing, Magistrate Abdulazeel Ismail Muhammed of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Magistrate Court issued the one month-detention order in Zuba Magisterial District where Ujah is facing criminal trial.
In his ruling on the mental state of the defendant, Magistrate Muhammed said “Having carefully considered, examined and scrutinized the Medical Report before me, dated 17th day of April, 2023 and signed by Dr. Olusegun Shoyombo, Consultant Psychiatrists. I am of the considered opinion that the defendant in the instant case, cannot defend himself.
“In the light of this, and having found that the defendant requires urgent medical attention. In the interest of justice, I hereby invoke the Provision of Section 278(3) & (4) ACJA, 2015 which provides thus; ‘Where the Court is not satisfied that the defendant is capable of making his defence, the Court shall adjourn the trial or proceedings and shall remand the person for a period not exceeding 1 month to be detained for observation in some suitable place.
“A defendant detained in accordance with subsection (3) of this section shall be kept under observation by a medical officer during the period of his remand and before the expiration of that period, the medical officer shall: “Give to the court his opinion in writing as to the state of mind of that person; and
“Where he is unable within the period to form any definite opinion, he shall so certify to the court and ask for a further remand and such further remand may extend to a period of 3 months.
“It is my considered opinion in the instant case, that remanding the defendant for observation in a suitable place with requisite multidisciplinary medical care and medical personnel, will promote and guarantee the interest of justice and fundamental right of the defendant guaranteed under Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2018.
“From all these, and the need to prevent the risk of jumping medical treatment and having found that, Kuje Correctional Facility has the required and requisite medical personnel. I hereby order that, the defendant be remanded for medical observation for 1 month, at Kuje correctional facility.”
