The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has expressed concerns about the health of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). In a statement issued on Sunday, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful stated that Kanu may be suffering from medical complications, including potentially internal bleeding.
IPOB claims the reported complications could be related to “beating and torture” Kanu allegedly endured during his arrest in Kenya in 2021. The group urges authorities to provide Kanu with urgent and specialized medical treatment to address any potential health risks. This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Sunday. Kanu has been in DSS detention since 2021, following his arrest and rendition from Kenya by Nigerian authorities.
IPOB, in its statement on Sunday, said reports reaching it “indicate that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is having medical complications in the DSS solitary confinement. The report said that Kanu may be having internal bleeding caused by torture.”
“This current medical situation may have arisen from ruptured veins and internal bleeding disorders arising from the beating and torture he was subjected to by the Nigerian secret agents who kidnapped him in Kenya in 2021.
“Even the DSS medical director agrees that Kanu requires urgent and serious medical attention to handle his case. The Federal Government and the British government should release Kanu on medical grounds for independent medical professionals to attend to him and carry out the surgery if necessary to save the unforeseen situation.”
IPOB appealed to the international community to prevail over President Bola Tinubu to release Kanu before it became too late.“The Federal Government should be careful that nothing happens to Kanu during and after his illegal detention in DSS solidarity confinement. Kanu is a precious jewel that Biafrans have given their lives to protect, and many are ready to give their lives for him. Kanu is a trigger of the gun that is capable of sinking Nigeria if mishandled,” the secessionist group said.
