A senior medical practitioner, Dr Adefolaseye Adebomi Adebayo, has written an open letter to the National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof Bala Mohammed Audu, seeking clarification on the Association’s alleged role in declaring the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Nnamdi Kanu, fit to stand trial.

Dr Adebayo, an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Head and Neck Surgeon, in the letter dated 18 October, expressed concern over media reports attributing to the NMA a declaration that Mr Kanu’s illness was not life-threatening and that he was medically fit for trial.

She said while courts may request medical input in such matters, it was unclear under what authority the NMA, as a corporate body, could issue such a declaration.

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“To the best of my knowledge, and according to the NMA Constitution and By-Laws, our Association’s functions are primarily professional, ethical, and advocacy-based,” he stated. “Nowhere, as far as I can ascertain, is there any provision empowering the Association itself, as opposed to independent medical experts or panels appointed by the court, to declare a defendant fit or unfit to stand trial.”

Dr Adebayo outlined the standard medico-legal procedure, noting that courts typically appoint qualified medical experts — often forensic psychiatrists or multidisciplinary medical boards — to assess an accused person’s physical and mental condition, after which the court determines fitness to stand trial.

She therefore asked the NMA leadership to clarify:

  • Under which section of its constitution or by-laws the Association is empowered to determine or endorse medical findings in such legal matters;

  • Whether the panel that examined Mr Kanu was a court-appointed body constituted through the NMA; and

  • If not, how such involvement aligns with the Association’s constitutional and ethical boundaries.

Dr Adebayo emphasised that a public clarification was necessary to uphold the integrity and independence of the medical profession and to ensure the public accurately understands the NMA’s role in sensitive medico-legal proceedings.

“I therefore humbly urge the National Secretariat to issue an official clarification, citing the specific constitutional or statutory framework that underpinned the Association’s involvement in this particular case,” he wrote.

He commended Prof Audu’s leadership and expressed confidence that the NMA would provide the needed transparency to reassure members and the public.