Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally reached out to the World Medical Association (WMA), raising urgent concerns about his deteriorating health and the substandard medical care he has endured while detained by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a letter dated October 3, 2025, penned by his international legal representative Bruce Fein and addressed to WMA President Dr. Jacqueline Kitulu, Kanu detailed how his medical condition has worsened significantly due to inadequate treatment during his prolonged detention.
The correspondence, shared with LEADERSHIP, reveals that Kanu has been held in solitary confinement for over four years without trial since his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2021.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Registrar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the DSS, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). The letter described Kanu’s situation as reaching a “critical, life-threatening stage.”
Kanu’s appeal urged the WMA to collaborate with the NMA to guarantee that he receives “the highest standard of professional medical care” and that his healthcare providers can operate free from any form of intimidation or interference.
Additionally, he requested that the WMA, either directly or through the NMA, investigate alleged discrepancies in his medical records while in DSS custody. The letter also called for safeguards to protect independent medical professionals from potential reprisals for offering care to Kanu.
He further insisted on the immediate publication of the NMA medical team’s report dated September 22, 2025, which the Federal High Court had ordered to be submitted within four days.
Fein cautioned that any postponement might risk the formation of a new panel, potentially compromising the integrity of the medical findings.
The letter recounts that Kanu’s health issues began shortly after his arrest in Nairobi. “Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, MNK was apprehended by masked agents and confined in a small room for eight days,” it stated.
During the initial five days, Kanu was reportedly deprived of food, water, and his prescribed medications, resulting in severe breathing difficulties and physical weakness.
“On the fifth day, as his condition worsened, a doctor was finally called. His blood pressure was alarmingly high, and he was administered 40mg of Amlodipine along with a red liquid medication,” the letter detailed.
Kanu claims that the harsh treatment in Kenya left him physically debilitated by the time he was transferred to Nigeria. Upon arrival at the DSS facility in Abuja, blood tests revealed a dangerously low potassium level, leading to a series of treatments that failed to stabilize his health.
“Each time potassium supplements were stopped, his levels plummeted back to life-threatening lows,” the letter asserted, noting that a South African laboratory confirmed the potassium deficiency.
He also accused one of the doctors assigned to him of falsifying medical test results, recording normal potassium levels despite evidence to the contrary.
Under what he described as insufficient medical supervision, Kanu continued to suffer from symptoms including frequent nosebleeds, fainting, chest pain, headaches, and swollen feet.
“More than 50 blood samples have been taken during his detention, yet his condition has not improved under the care of the assigned medical team,” the letter emphasized.
Kanu expressed gratitude to Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, a distinguished surgeon, whose intervention reportedly brought some stability to his health. “Without Professor Aghaji’s involvement, my condition would have worsened irreversibly,” Kanu stated.
The letter highlighted that Professor Aghaji identified multiple health issues affecting Kanu’s liver, kidneys, bladder, prostate, and brain white matter, alongside sleep apnea and severe tinnitus.
“Tinnitus poses one of the most serious threats to MNK’s survival, disrupting his sleep, worsening hypertension, intensifying chest pain, and increasing the risk of stroke, collapse, or sudden death,” Fein wrote.
The NMA’s medical evaluation on September 22, 2025, corroborated Professor Aghaji’s findings and additionally recommended nasal surgery to address another condition.
Fein reiterated the urgency, warning that delays could lead to the appointment of a new panel, thereby jeopardizing the accuracy of the medical truth.
“Ignoring tinnitus and sleep deprivation reflects a dangerous neglect of conditions that threaten MNK’s life,” he stressed.
He implored the WMA to facilitate the release of the NMA report, uphold Professor Aghaji’s role as Kanu’s attending physician, reassess the treatment provided, and acknowledge tinnitus and sleep deprivation as critical medical emergencies.
“Without swift and decisive intervention by the WMA and NMA, MNK’s medical neglect could have fatal consequences,” Fein concluded.
