Tianzhen Ye, a Chinese national convicted of narcotic-related offences in Nigeria, has requested bail on medical grounds due to a life-threatening diagnosis of blood and lung cancer.
Ye, who was apprehended 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 defendant begged Justice Deinde Dipeolu to consider lowering his imprisonment sentence to an option of a fine or, in the alternative, admit him to bail to obtain urgent medical treatment.
According to court documents, he was diagnosed with cancer after his conviction and detention and has received treatment at several facilities, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, the Federal Medical Centre in Yaba, and a military hospital in Ikoyi.
He said that the prison institution had spent nearly N5 million on his healthcare and that it was no longer feasible given the centre’s commitment to over 3,500 detainees.
