Court Stops The Release Of Information On Buhari’s Medical Treatment

A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice John Tsoho has ruled that information on tax payers money spent on President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign medical treatments can not be made public under the Freedom of Information Act without the President’s consent.

Justice Tsoho made the ruling Tuesday in a suit filed by a civil society group, Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative.

He said the information sought related to personal information of an elected person which is exempted by Section 14(1)(b) of the FoI Act, 2011.

The judge also ruled that the Central Bank of Nigeria and its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, can not be held liable for not disclosing the information, having transferred the group’s October 19, 2017 request to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

It would be recalled that Buhari received extensive multiple treatments for an unknown ailment in a London hospital between 2016 and 2017.