By Esther Onyegbula

A Chinese national, Tianzhen Ye, convicted for narcotic-related offenses in Nigeria, has approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with an urgent request for bail on medical grounds, citing a life-threatening diagnosis of blood and lung cancer.

Ye, who was arrested in November 2024 and pleaded guilty before the court in January 2025, is currently serving a two-year sentence at the Ikoyi prison.

Through his counsel, Mary Dibiaezue, the convict pleaded with Justice Deinde Dipeolu to consider commuting his custodial sentence to an option of fine, or in the alternative, admit him to bail to access urgent medical treatment.

Ye according to court papers, said that since his conviction and incarceration, has been diagnosed with cancer and has received treatment at multiple hospitals, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, the Federal Medical Centre in Yaba, and a military hospital in Ikoyi.

He claimed that the prison facility has spent approximately N5 million on his healthcare, adding that it was no longer sustainable given the centre’s obligation to over 3,500 inmates.