|By Chinwendu Nwani
The Department of State Services (DSS) has rejected claims by detained Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that his health is deteriorating, describing the allegations as exaggerated and aimed at misleading the public.
In a 37-paragraph counter affidavit opposing Kanu’s request to be moved from DSS custody to the National Hospital, Abuja, the security agency insisted its medical facilities are fully equipped to handle his condition. DSS stressed that Kanu remains in stable health and is receiving adequate care.
Dr. Mohammed Nasir, a DSS medical officer who deposed to the affidavit, maintained that Kanu enjoys “maximum comfort, safety and meals of his choice” while in detention. He added that, at the detainee’s request, specialists from both the National Hospital and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital have attended to him.
The DSS faulted a report by Prof. Martin Aghaji, a retired surgeon, who recommended Kanu’s transfer to the National Hospital. The agency accused Aghaji of sidelining its medical officers, disrupting established treatment plans, and raising what it called “unjustifiable alarm” about Kanu’s health.
According to DSS, Kanu had a history of hypertension and related complications before his detention in 2021 and has since been treated by a rotating team of specialists, including Dr. Abiodun Olugbenga and Dr. Onye Achillihu. The agency argued that Aghaji’s intervention was “speculative” and dismissed his warning as an emotional outburst.
Kanu, through his counsel, Chief Godwin Agabi (SAN), had sought a court order compelling DSS to move him to the National Hospital. His legal team argued that recent medical examinations revealed organ complications, dangerously low potassium levels, and a lump under his armpit, necessitating urgent intervention.
However, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday declined to hear the motion. Justice Musa Liman ruled that his vacation fiat had expired and that he lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The DSS further maintained that moving Kanu outside its facility would pose grave security risks, recalling that he once jumped bail. It argued that securing him at the National Hospital would require “full militarization” and disrupt normal hospital activities.
For now, Kanu remains in DSS custody as the legal tussle over his medical care continues.
