(DDM) – The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) is deliberately denying him proper medical care despite his deteriorating health condition.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that his lawyer, Barrister Nnaemeka Ejiofor, raised the alarm after visiting him at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. Ejiofor said Kanu’s health is worsening rapidly in solitary confinement and that the IPOB leader fears his life is at imminent risk.
According to Ejiofor, DSS doctors recently confirmed that Kanu suffers from a dangerously low potassium level, which could trigger sudden heart failure. Despite repeated complaints, Ejiofor said the medications administered by DSS have failed to stabilize his condition.
Kanu was quoted as saying: “The DSS doctor himself admitted that my potassium level is dangerously low and can trigger heart failure at any time. Yet they keep giving me medicines that have no effect. My potassium continues to deplete despite everything they claim to be doing.”
The IPOB leader revealed that his blood samples have been drawn more than 50 times, including for tests conducted in South Africa, but no medical explanation has been provided for the persistent potassium depletion.
He also alleged that his worsening health may be linked to poisoning during his arrest in Kenya in 2021, insisting that Nigerian authorities have refused to provide adequate medical intervention since his rendition.
Kanu further disclosed that his internal organs, including his kidneys, pancreas, and heart, are already showing signs of distress, raising fears of irreversible damage if urgent treatment is not provided.
Ejiofor said an independent medical team, led by Professor Ariadje, a Professor Emeritus and medical doctor, had recommended Kanu’s immediate transfer to the National Hospital in Abuja for comprehensive treatment. However, the DSS reportedly rejected the recommendation.
“The federal government, through the DSS, has flatly refused every request for him to be taken to the National Hospital, which is a government-owned facility in Abuja,” Ejiofor said.
Kanu insisted that he does not want release on sympathetic grounds but only seeks the opportunity to stand trial in good health. “I want the world to know that I do not want to be discharged because I am dying. I want to stand trial with my health intact,” he maintained.
He further appealed that if the government is unwilling to cover his medical costs, his family and supporters are ready to pay for his treatment, provided he is granted access to proper healthcare.
Ejiofor warned that the continued denial of medical attention poses a grave risk to his client’s life, calling on Nigerians and the international community to hold the government accountable for whatever happens to the IPOB leader in detention.