Nigerian court orders arrest of prison doctor as Binance exec is wheelchair-bound

A Nigerian court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Dr. Abraham Ehizojie, a doctor at the Kuje Correctional Centre, which is currently detaining Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan.

According to local media reports, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued the arrest warrant after Ehizojie failed to produce a medical report against Gambaryan in court.

The court ordered the correctional facility to submit the medical report of the detained Binance executive on or before the hearing on July 16. Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, asked the court to summon Ehizojie and explain why the Binance executive’s reports were not submitted.

At the final hearing, the prison official confirmed that the order had been served on the doctor who had not attended court.

Mordi requested the court to issue an arrest warrant and for Gambaryan, who came to the hearing in a wheelchair, to be transferred to hospital. He added:

“[Gambaryan] “He complains of back pain. We need to take care of the life in our hands.”

The Binance executive has been detained in Nigeria since February and is currently facing money laundering charges and foreign exchange violations.

During his time there, he tested positive for malaria and collapsed in open court during a hearing on May 23 due to his deteriorating health conditions.

Beyond the trial, several U.S. lawmakers have previously expressed concerns about Gambaryan’s health and also criticized the Kuje Prison, which they claim is designed to hold “ISIS fighters.”

US lawmaker French Hill visited the facility in June and reported that Gambaryan was suffering from malaria and bilateral pneumonia. He was denied access to adequate medical care and had lost weight, according to the lawmaker.

During the last hearing, Justice Nwite also criticised Ehizojie’s actions and ordered Gambaryan to be taken to Nizamiye Hospital for a 24-hour medical check-up. As of now, the case has been adjourned to October 11.