Festus Keyamo alleges plan to kill Charles Okah

Counsel to Charles Okah, one of the accused persons  being tried for the October 1, bombing in Abuja, Barrister Festus Keyamo has alleged attempt to kill his client, following  refusal by prison officials to administer   High Blood Pressure drugs on him.

Keyamo in a letter addressed to the Controller General of Nigeria Prisons and made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, accused a certain Deputy Controller of Prisons of refusing to administer the drugs to Okah.

The letter signed by Barrister John Ainetor, Esq and  Ms Benedicta  Obanye, both of Keyamo’s law firm read: “ It is our brief that on 7th of January, 2014, the Kuje Prisons Clinic issued a drug prescription for the treatment of the High Blood Pressure ailment of our client, specifically Amlodipine 10mg.

File photo: Charles Okah being led out of Abuja Court.

“On the 9th of January, 2014 when the wife, Mrs. Okah, visited our client in Prisons, she was informed that the said drugs have not been bought due to lack of finance, and as such, she was requested to purchase them for our client. Consequently, our client’s wife immediately purchased the said drugs and handed same   over to the prisons officer in charge who seized them and refused to administer same to our client, thereby denying him medication  despite his critical health condition. The said DCP further said that his action was based on the press release by the family of our client on 13th of January, 2014, where they raised alarm about his health condition and that no one can do anything about it.

“ Sir, the conduct of the prison official is very worrisome, in addition to several other inhuman treatments meted to our client in Kuje prisons. These calculated attempts to  snuff life out of him   have repeatedly occurred, which include intentional denial of medication, refusal to administer the correct and appropriate drugs when prescribed by the prisons clinic, the initial refusal to fumigate the cell and the subsequent fumigation while our client was inside; the discovery of a scorpion in the cell and various other life-threatening events.

“ The foregoing suggests beyond doubt that there is a plot to kill our client in Kuje prisons. This is more so because our client, who has only one kidney is hypertensive . It is noteworthy that it was circumstances of this nature that led to the death of Tiemkemfa Osovwo (alias General Gbokos) sometime in 2012. It is likely that similar fate may befall our client if urgent action is not taken about our complaint”