Thursday, 6 February 2014

Independence Day bombing: Lack of Psychiatric Report Stalls Okah’s Trial

The lack of psychiatric report to determine the mental state of Mr Charles Okah, who is accused of masterminding the twin bombings in Abuja on October 1, 2010, stalled his trial yesterday before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court, Abuja, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

When the case came up on Wednesday, parties were informed that the reports of fresh medicals which the judge ordered to be conducted on Mr. Okah at the last sitting were not ready.

The initial report read in part: “Okah suffers from psychotic depression, fatigues disorder and auditory/visual hallucinations.” The report was dated January 9 and signed by a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist with the National Hospital, O. T. Ephraim Oluwanuga. 
But prosecutors argued that Mr Okah was fit to stand trial and was only pretending to be mentally unstable.

Justice Kolawole then ordered that a fresh medical examination be conducted at the National Hospital in Abuja by two or three psychiatrists, who must jointly sign the report.

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