The convicted pension boss, who is currently serving an 8-year prison sentence, had filed a N1 billion fundamental right enforcement lawsuit against Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola as well as the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service because they allegedly refused to let him receive medical treatment at the hospital of his choice. The suit was rejected by the Federal High Court in Abuja in a judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo.
Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, the convicted past chairman of the disbanded Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, was unsuccessful in his attempt to leave Kuje jail on Wednesday. Maina had believed he had an illness that was potentially fatal and necessitated immediate medical care.
In order to avoid the 2 respondents from restricting him from receiving medical treatment at the renowned and well-respected clinic of his choice, he requested the court to impose an order of perpetual injunction.
The judge concluded that although it is generally agreed that inmates have had the right to obtain medical care, they do not have enough right to choose which hospital they want to be transferred to.
However, Justice Ekwo rejected the lawsuit for lack of substance in his decision on the subject on Wednesday. The court decided that there wasn’t any reliable proof presented to show that the applicant had any condition that posed a serious risk of death.
In addition, the court found that the Correctional Service’s administrators had carried out their legal obligations by taking the applicant to the cardiology, orthopedic, and ENT departments of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, roughly twenty-three times.
He maintained that the uncontested material before the court demonstrated that the guilty previous pension reform boss received medical help and therapy appropriate to his circumstances at the time the case was filed.
Justice Ekwo ruled that the fact that a prisoner was taken to the hospital 23 times shows the correctional authorities’ concern and care. According to Justice Ekwo, a prisoner’s request would be considered an attempt to keep the government hostage.
Furthermore, the court emphasized that Maina had not shown any convincing evidence to demonstrate that the Interior Minister or the Controller General of the Correctional Service had violated any of his fundamental legal rights while he was in their possession. He declared that based on the facts presented in court, it seemed that the claimant was not seeking medical care but rather an extravagant lifestyle while incarcerated.
The court determined that no part of the legislation required that if any prisoner, such as the applicant, be recognized as a special individual with unrestricted rights. This application is an elaborate hoax that aims to minimize the significance of a criminal conviction.
Justice Ekwo said, I find that the request lacks evidence and I make an order rejecting it.
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