The Indigenous People of Biafra has raised the alarm over the alleged “precarious” health situation of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The pro-Biafran group said Kanu needs urgent and specialised medical emergency treatment to avert serious outcomes. This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Sunday.
The statement partly reads, “The report reaching IPOB leadership indicates 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 risen 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.
“Moreso, the drug overuse and abuse that DSS has subjected Kanu to may also be part of the problem. Our Leader requires medical emergency treatment outside the DSS facility to undergo surgery for his survival.
“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 further advised the international community to persuade President Bola Tinubu to release Kanu before it becomes too late, adding that IPOB is not begging Tinubu to release Kanu but to save Nigeria from a calamitous situation that will befall it if Kanu dies in custody.
“IPOB members worldwide must emphasise the medical emergency of our leader. Also, Igbo politicians, religious leaders, women groups, and elders in Igboland must all rise up to ensure that nothing happens to Kanu. All hands must be on the deck to ensure that he is released immediately for him to undergo a thorough medical examination and treatment.
“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 Igbo political jobbers who are colluding with Tinubu’s government to jail or kill Kanu and to destroy IPOB should be careful not to murder sleep for themselves and their families.
“We have been tolerant of the abuse of the judicial process by the Supreme Court Justices to keep Kanu indefinitely illegally in detention. But should anything happen to him during or after detention, the consequences will be left imagined. Therefore, we call on the Federal Government to release Kanu to attend to his medical emergency situation while there is still time,” the statement added.
By Ikenna Obianeri
