The family of Charles Okah, who is being held in Kuje prisons on allegations of masterminding the 1st October 2010 Independence Day bombing, has cried out over his deteriorating health, spawned largely by administration of counter-productive drugs on him by the prisons’ doctor.
In a release signed by Felix Amaebi Okah and Dadiowei Okah on behalf of the family, the family condemned continuous administration of sodium valpoate (ESV) in 200mg dosage thrice daily to him, despite its side effects.
“The Okah family of Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, expresses great concern over the continued inhumane incarceration and deteriorating man-induced mental health of their son, Charles Oyintombra Okah a.k.a Billy Bones, C.E.O Tombra Life Support, a medical Specialty Company established in 1985”, read the statement.
“Before Charles Okah’s arrest, he was a successful Business Man/Philanthropist in mental and physical top shape even after a donor Nephrectomy (donation of his left kidney) made 31 years earlier to his late Mother, Mrs Helen Ama Okah of Blessed Memory.
“During an earlier visit to Kuje Prison made by his wife, Mrs Angela Uchechi Okah, Charles Okah had informed her of his adverse reaction to a certain medication being forcefully administered on him by the Kuje Prisons Clinic despite his complaints. The drug, known as Epilim 200 (sodium valproate or ESV) was prescribed by Professor Bwala, a consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) to treat the damage to Charles Okah’s Neurological system caused by exposure to high level of fumigant chemicals, when Charles Okah and his cell mates were locked up inside the cell that was being fumigated and which led to the subsequent death of Francis Osuwo”.
According to the family, its research revealed that sodium valpoate (ESV), which was administered in 200mg dosage thrice daily to him, is a medication primarily for Epilepsy. Charles Okah, meanwhile, is not epileptic nor is there a family history of Epilepsy.
It claimed that a fellow inmate in a single cell block, where Charles okah has been languishing in solitary confinement for three years, confirmed that he had complained to one Dr. Ajayi of the Kuje Prison Clinic several times concerning the serious side effects the drug was having on him; listing some of them as hallucinations, memory loss, severe headaches, confusion and bed-wetting.
“On one of such visits, Dr. Ajayi wrote down the complaints on a piece of paper but may not have deliberately documented in Charles Okah’s medical file. He advised Charles Okah to take tylenol brought by his wife to counter the headache and promised to report the development to professor Bwala. But on a subsequent visit after a long period, Dr. Ajayi confessed he had not yet informed the Neurologist but had discussed the matter with Professor Bwala’s senior Registrar who, according to Dr. Ajayi was ignorant of any side effects of ESV.
“The side effects raised by Charles Okah are clearly stated by the manufacturers of the drug for which intake ought to have been discontinued. Instead, this systematic poisoning of his mind was allowed to continue unabated for a cruelly long period of time.
“A source working in the Kuje Prison Clinic (KPC) leaked out the information that curiously, they were instructed at a point to stop recording Charles Okah’s daily intake of ESV even though the medication was still being administered to him, but could record the other medication such as Amlodopine 10 mg administered for controlling his blood pressure whose brand recommended by the NHA was substituted.
“The continued administration of ESV which was no longer being recorded in his daily intake chart, is confirmed by a prescription dated September 20th 2013 and signed by Dr. Ajayi and also by a clinic staff who escorted Charles Okah on his appointment with Professor Bwala on November 27th 2013 and who told professor Bwala in the presence of four other physicians , prison and state security operatives when asked, confirmed that indeed Charles Okah was still on ESV thereby contradicting their drug intake chart. From all indications, and that out patient appointment, professor Bwala may not have been informed of Charles Okah’s reaction to the ESV. But noticed his abnormal behaviour thereby recommending a psychiatric evaluation and ordering the discontinuation of ESV with immediate effect after the visible harm had been done”.
While the family gave the NHA, where Charles Okah’s company established their first Haemodialysis center in 2000 the benefit of the doubt for now, it expressed hesitance to conclude that they were part of a diabolical conspiracy.
“We suspect strongly that the Nigerian Prison service (NPS) with an antecedent for poisoning political prisoners from orders from above, have deliberately and systematically poisoned Charles Okah into becoming an imbecile.
“Charles Okah has always been desirous of having an impartial trial conducted to clear his good name and was confident that unless influenced, he would be vindicated, discharged and acquitted of the trumped up charges relating to the unfortunate October 1st 2010 bomb attack.
“He also wanted a forum to dispel the lies told by the SSS spokeswoman Ms Marilyn Ogar who announced on National Television on Tuesday October 19th 2010 shortly after Charles Okah’s arrest that “our investigations have revealed that Charles Tombra Okah is Jomo Gbomo the Spokesman for Mend”.
The family finally urged the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Human Rights Watch to carry out an independent probe on all parties involved in “this shameful and diabolic plot”.
