Charles Okah fit for trial, says court

A Federal High Court in Abuja on May 12 declared detained terror suspect, Charles Okah medically fit to face trial for his alleged complicity in the 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja that killed and wounded several persons.

Charles, the brother of convicted mastermind of the bombing, Henry Okah, who is currently serving time in a South African jail, was considered fit for trial by Justice Gabriel Kolawole upon receiving the report of the psychiatric evaluation carried out on the accused by experts at the National Hospital, Abuja.

After going through the report, the judge directed lawyers to choose a date for the commencement of trial.

Okah is being tried alongside Obi Nwanbueze in the terror trial that had been stalled lately following the Federal Government’s inability to ascertain Okah’s mental health status.

They are charged with 22 particulars of overt acts of treason and another eight-count charge of terrorism.

Justice Kolawole had, in view of Okah’s strange behavior, ordered the government to present him before experts at the National Hospital, Abuja for psychiatric evaluation. Okah once urinated in open court during proceedings.

John Ainetor his lawyer, of the Festus Keyamo Chambers, had consistently claimed that Okah was too ill to stand trial.

Yesterday, the judge upon receiving the medical report and examining it handed it to the prosecution lawyer, Alex Izinyon, SAN, and Ainetor to read.

When Ainetor tried to react, the judge stopped him on the ground that a person’s medical report was not what should be made a public issue. The judge later asked both lawyers to pick a date for the commencement of trial.

The judge directed parties to file the necessary processes and adjourned till May 16 for argument.