Binance: Court issues bench warrant against Kuje prison medical doctor

On Tuesday, July 16,  the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, the medical doctor at Kuje Correctional Centre, for allegedly refusing to produce the medical report of Tigran Gambaryan, a detained executive of Binance Holdings Ltd.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, SAN. Gambaryan, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, is facing money laundering charges alongside the cryptocurrency firm, brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On July 5, Justice Nwite had ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to release Gambaryan’s medical certificate by July 16. Mordi requested the court to summon Dr. Ehizojie to explain his alleged refusal to provide the medical report despite the court’s order. Gambaryan had previously collapsed in court on May 23 due to ill health, with concerns raised about his deteriorating condition at Kuje Correctional Centre.

During the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Mordi informed the court that the order had not been complied with. A prison official confirmed delivering the court order to Dr. Ehizojie on July 9, but the doctor was not present in court.

The EFCC counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, expressed surprise at the doctor’s absence. Mordi then requested the court to issue a bench warrant for Dr. Ehizojie and to order hospital remand for Gambaryan to ensure a thorough medical examination. 

“My client came in here on a wheelchair. He has been complaining of back pain. We need to be careful of the life in our hands,” Mordi said.

Justice Nwite criticized the government’s treatment of the court order and issued a bench warrant for Dr. Ehizojie to appear before the court. He also ordered that Gambaryan be taken to Nizamiye Hospital for 24 hours of medical care under full security surveillance.

The judge adjourned the matter until October 11 and 18 for the continuation of the trial. Earlier in the session, Dr. Olubukola Akinwunmi, Head of Payment Policy and Regulation Division at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), gave evidence and was cross-examined by Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, counsel for Binance.