Favour Michael Kanu, the wife of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, has appealed to Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja to intervene and save her husband’s life.
In an open letter addressed to the judge on Thursday, Mrs Kanu expressed deep concern over her husband’s deteriorating health condition, alleging that his life is at risk in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
She dismissed the medical report recently presented in court by a panel of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which stated that Kanu was not suffering from any life-threatening ailment and was fit to stand trial.
According to her, the report was “disjointed and unethical,” claiming it was prepared and submitted by the DSS rather than the independent medical experts mandated by the court.
“My husband remains critically ill and urgently needs proper medical attention outside the DSS clinic, which is poorly equipped,” she wrote.
Mrs Kanu urged Justice Omotosho to allow the IPOB leader to receive treatment at any hospital within Abuja, stressing that his health continues to decline under the current conditions.
She also expressed disappointment over what she described as the court’s “unnecessary delays and indecisiveness,” alleging that the pace of proceedings appeared to be “a deliberate plan to keep stalling the case while the defendant languishes in the DSS dungeon.”
Recalling the circumstances surrounding Kanu’s arrest and rendition from Kenya, she accused the government of subjecting her husband to torture and inhumane treatment.
“Your Lordship, even the President and Commander-in-Chief seek medical care abroad because they lack faith in Nigeria’s health system. Why then should my husband be confined to the same DSS facility that contributed to his ill health?” she queried.
Concluding the letter, Mrs Kanu issued an emotional plea to the judge:
“You once said Nnamdi Kanu must be alive and healthy to stand trial. What changed, Your Lordship? Why is his life not being taken seriously? My husband has been gravely victimized for too long.”
As of press time, neither the DSS nor the Federal Government has issued an official response to her appeal.