The brother of a notorious militant charged with treason over twin car bombings in Nigeria’s capital last October collapsed in court on Tuesday as his trial was about to start.
Charles Okah fell to the floor with proceedings set to begin in the trial over the car bomb attacks that killed at least 12 people on October 1, Independence Day.
He was attended to by security officials, but was not taken away on a stretcher until some two hours later. His condition was unclear.
Shortly after prosecution and defence lawyers announced their appearance in court, the trial judge observed that Okah appeared ill.
“It appears Charles Okah is not looking well,” Justice Gabriel Kolawole said. “I think they should get you a chair to sit or do you think you are fit enough to stand?”
Okah then fell to the floor and the judge adjourned the hearing to allow security officials to attend to him. The judge later ordered that Okah be taken to hospital.
He ordered a medical report to be submitted to the court by January 27 in order to decide whether Okah is fit to stand trial.
Okah’s lawyer, Ogheneovo Otemu, told journalists that the accused lives with one kidney, was being kept in a solitary cell and was not allowed to exercise.
“He’s not being treated like every other inmate,” he alleged.
Okah is the brother of Henry Okah, a suspected leader of militant group MEND accused of ordering the twin car bombings. Henry Okah lives in South Africa and was arrested there after the attacks.
On Tuesday, MEND threatened attacks on fuel depots and vehicles in a statement that criticised the Nigerian government over “the arrest and detention of our respected brothers.”