Ruling on Wednesday, Justice Musa Kakaki held that the defence had failed to provide sufficient evidence of special medical circumstances to justify the defendant’s release.
“There is no medical certificate to warrant the court to grant him bail,” the judge ruled.
He added that a specialist should provide an expert assessment where a defendant claims to be suffering from a serious medical condition.
However, the judge ordered the Ikoyi Custodial Centre to grant Kazeem unrestricted access to doctors and medical specialists for treatment. He also directed that the trial be accelerated and adjourned the case until November 2, 2026.
Kazeem’s lawyer, Emefo Etudo, had applied for bail to enable his client to receive specialised treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), alleging that his condition had worsened following a lung collapse reported by the Police Hospital, Falomo.
Opposing the application, prosecuting counsel Abu Ibrahim argued that the medical evidence presented did not justify bail and that the defence had failed to establish that LUTH could not adequately manage Kazeem’s condition.
“The ailment is the same. It is the same asthma. But maybe it has become acute; the character and the ailment are the same,” Ibrahim told the court.
Justice Kakaki also questioned the request for specialised treatment at LUTH, noting that the defence had failed to establish any change in circumstances since the court’s earlier ruling on October 2, 2026.
The judge dismissed the medical exhibits presented by the defence, stressing that claims of serious illness must be supported by adequate expert assessment.
The case was adjourned until November 2, 2026, for trial to commence.
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