Nnamdi Kanu Writes Nigerian Medical Association Over Neglect In DSS Custody, Falsification Of Test Results, Demands Intervention
By Paul Ebi
He urged the NMA to urgently intervene, protect independent medical practitioners, and release the findings of a recent medical assessment conducted by the association.
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has written to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), alleging grave medical negligence, falsification of his health records, and intimidation of independent doctors while in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, and addressed to the NMA President at the association’s national secretariat in Abuja, Kanu said his health has deteriorated severely since his abduction in Kenya and subsequent detention in Nigeria.
He urged the NMA to urgently intervene, protect independent medical practitioners, and release the findings of a recent medical assessment conducted by the association.
“My health, already weakened by my violent abduction in Kenya, has been compromised further by inconsistent, falsified, and sometimes outright negligent medical practices within Nigeria,” Kanu stated.
He accused DSS-appointed doctors, particularly Dr. Nasiru Mohammed, of falsifying his potassium test results and ignoring life-threatening symptoms such as fainting, chest pains, and severe light-headedness.
“From the moment he assumed control, Dr. Nasiru Mohammed began falsifying my test results, recording normal potassium levels when in reality they were dangerously low,” Kanu alleged.
Kanu recounted his ordeal in Nairobi, Kenya, claiming he was violently abducted by masked operatives at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and held incommunicado for eight days.
He said, “On arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, I was violently abducted by masked operatives, manhandled, and dragged into captivity.
“For eight days, I was chained by the leg to a wall in a pitch-dark, windowless room.”
He said his blood pressure spiked dangerously, and he was forced to ingest unidentified drugs before being renditioned to Nigeria in what he described as a breach of international and domestic law.
“During this period, on the very first day, my head was slammed against the edge of a car door, resulting in an open wound that bled onto my clothing,” he said.
“The pain was sharp, my vision blurred, and dizziness set in almost immediately.”
According to him, for the first five days, “I was denied even the basic essentials of life: no food, no water, and none of my long-prescribed medications.
“This deprivation nearly suffocated me, producing severe difficulty in breathing and overwhelming weakness.”
Kanu said that on the fifth day, when his body began to fail, a doctor was summoned, and his blood pressure was found to be dangerously high, and he was given a 40mg dose of Amlodipine along with a strange, red wine coloured liquid.
He said, “Soon after, a cardiologist performed an ECG examination, but its results were never disclosed to me.
“I was treated as an object, not as a patient, with strict instructions issued to the doctors not to explain or converse.
“From the evening of that fifth day until my forced rendition on the eighth, I was compelled to ingest 40mg Amlodipine daily, an unidentified white tablet, and an unmarked gel-like substance.
“This treatment in Kenya – characterized by brutality, secrecy, and denial of basic medical rights-left me gravely weakened by the time of my unlawful transfer to Nigeria, which itself violated international, Kenyan, and Nigerian law.”
According to Kanu, medical examinations in Nigeria revealed a life-threatening potassium deficiency, with his levels crashing to “life-ending 1.9 mmol/L.”
He alleged that despite over 50 blood samples taken in custody, his condition has not improved under DSS-appointed doctors.
“When challenged as to why a potassium-sparing drug like Eplerenone was still prescribed if my potassium was supposedly normal, he (Dr. Mohammed) provided no medical justification,” Kanu said.
“Under his so-called care, I continued to experience: Frequent nosebleeds; Fainting episodes and near-collapse; Severe light-headedness; Unrelenting chest pains on my left side; Debilitating headaches; Swelling of the feet.
“Over 50 blood samples have been taken during my time in DS custody, but these have yielded no improvement in my health under the management of DSS-appointed doctors.”
He credited Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji with saving his life, noting that under Aghaji’s care, his potassium levels improved modestly and many of his debilitating symptoms eased.
However, Kanu claimed that the DSS had subjected Aghaji to “the same pattern of intimidation used against my longtime physician, Dr. Cfine.”
Among his most serious complaints, Kanu highlighted the impact of untreated tinnitus, which he described as “an incessant internal chirping sound” that deprives him of sleep.
“Sleep deprivation, when combined with existing hypertension, organ strain, and potassium instability, places me in immediate danger of stroke, collapse, or sudden death,” he warned.
Kanu disclosed that on September 22, 2025, an NMA medical team, acting on the orders of the Attorney-General of the Federation, conducted an independent assessment in DSS custody.
He said the team’s findings corroborated Professor Aghaji’s diagnosis and identified additional health concerns, including the need for nasal surgery.
He demanded the immediate release of the panel’s report, which a Federal High Court had ordered to be filed within four days.
“Any delay creates the real danger that a substitute ‘teleguided’ panel may be assembled, thereby undermining the truth,” he cautioned.
In his letter, Kanu told NMA that, “This letter is intended not only to bring my condition to the formal attention of the NMA but also to invoke the ethical responsibilities of the medical profession under both Nigerian law and international human rights standards.
“I specifically call on the NMA to: Investigate and address the manipulation of my medical records in DSS custody.
“Protect independent practitioners, particularly Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, whose intervention has been lifesaving.
“Ensure the immediate release of the NMA medical team’s report of 22 September 2025, which the Federal High Court has directed must be filed within four days.
“Recognise and respond to the grave risks posed by untreated conditions, especially tinnitus-induced sleep deprivation, which continues to endanger my life, and establish an oversight mechanism to guarantee ethical treatment of detainees.”
He also asked the NMA to “Investigate the conduct of Dr. Nasiru Mohammed and other DSS-appointed doctors for falsification of results.”
Kanu noted that the incessant chirping in his ears is more than a nuisance.
“It robs me of sleep, sometimes making rest completely impossible; it exacerbates my hypertension; it magnifies chest pain, fainting risks, and psychological strain; it undermines my body’s natural capacity to heal.”
The IPOB leader alleged, “DSS doctors once proposed to drain fluid from my inner ear, but abandoned the plan due to the risk of permanent hearing loss.
“Since then, no serious effort has been made to treat this condition, even though its effects are cumulative and potentially devastating.”
Kanu warned, “Today, I continue to face grave risks, not least from tinnitus-induced sleep deprivation, which exacerbates every other condition I suffer from.
“Without decisive action, this neglect may prove fatal.
“I therefore urge the NMA to act with urgency and integrity to protect both my life and the ethical standing of the medical profession in Nigeria.”
