The family of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has petitioned the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and international bodies, alleging that his life is at risk due to medical neglect and the alleged harassment of his personal doctors.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, speaking for the Okwu-Kanu family, accused the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) of targeting the medical team treating Kanu, while legal proceedings concerning his health remained before the Court of Appeal.
The family alleged that Kanu’s health was “systematically neglected and mismanaged” during his detention in DSS custody.
It claimed that state-appointed doctors allowed his potassium level to fall to 2.1 mmol/L, which independent physicians reportedly described as life-threatening and capable of causing cardiac arrest.
According to the statement, Kanu also suffered from poorly managed hypertension, deteriorating kidney function, and untreated heart complications.
The family said his condition improved only after an independent medical team led by Emeritus Professor, Martin Aghaji, was granted access.
It claimed his potassium level increased to 2.9 mmol/L, while symptoms such as nosebleeds, fainting, light-headedness, swollen feet, and persistent headaches significantly reduced.
“The DSS did not save Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s life. His personal physicians did,” the statement said.
The family further alleged that the doctors who treated Kanu had since faced intimidation.
It claimed the DSS petitioned the MDCN against Prof. Aghaji over medication adjustments made by the independent medical team and alleged that he was abducted by armed men believed to be DSS operatives after Kanu’s transfer to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
It also alleged that another member of the medical team, Dr. Charles Ndukwu, has been summoned by the MDCN Investigation Panel.
Describing the developments as “a coordinated campaign against independent medical practitioners,” the family called for an end to the alleged harassment, withdrawal of disciplinary proceedings against the doctors, unrestricted access for Kanu to his chosen physicians, and an independent investigation into the alleged falsification of his medical records.
The family said copies of its petition had been sent to the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel, as well as Nigerian institutions and international human rights organisations.
In a separate petition addressed to the NMA, Kanu reportedly appealed for the association’s intervention, alleging systematic medical neglect during his detention and claiming that his medical records were falsified by state-appointed doctors.
He also stated that a previous petition submitted to the NMA on September 29, 2025, had not received a response.
Kanu noted that issues relating to a court-ordered medical examination remained before the Court of Appeal and are, therefore, subjudice.
He said his latest petition was not intended to re-litigate the matter but to seek protection for his physicians and ensure continued access to independent medical care.
He urged the NMA to publicly condemn the alleged harassment, establish an independent oversight mechanism for healthcare involving prisoners and detainees, and intervene to safeguard what he described as his right to adequate medical treatment under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules).
The allegations are claims made by Kanu and his family. At press time, the DSS and the MDCN had not publicly responded to the allegations.
