Lawyer raise the alarm over Kanu worsening health, says ‘DSS rejects doctors request to move him to hospital’

Maxwell Opara, one of the lawyer to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra ,IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi has lamented the worsening health condition of the IPOB leader, saying he wish to put the world on notice that the Department of State Services, DSS, has refused to cooperate with Kanu doctor’s recommendation.

Mr Okpara said Kanu looked very sick when he visited him at the DSS facility, and that the DSS rejected requests to move him to the hospital for treatment and at least two weeks focus examination as recommended by the Medical Director Heartland Cardiovascular Consultants Limited .

Mr. Opara in a video recording posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday said: “Just came back from DSS now where I went to visit Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The condition I saw him is not something to write home about.

“The cardiologist who has been treating Nnamdi Kanu has told the DSS that he cannot be coming to DSS every time, every week to be treating Nnamdi Kanu, that it is against their medical ethics. He is a US trained Cardiovascular Consultant and he said that he needs to have Nnamdi Kanu in his clinic; at least to monitor him for two weeks. But the DSS said no that except it is through court order.

“I can’t see the reason while the judiciary should be allowed themselves to be used by the executive. We have seen the best international practices that once somebody is sick even in the prison and if it is discovered that the person needed to have best medical practitioner, they will release the person. But the one of Nnamdi Kanu the case is quite different.

“Is it because he is an Igbo? Is it because he is Nnamdi Kanu? It is only a living that can face trial. Look at a letter written to the DSS. This letter was written by Heartland Cardiovascular Consultants Limited, signed by Onye Godfrey Achilihu, the medical director, and he is a fellow American College of Cardiology.

“And in the letter he said, “Based on symptoms communicated to me, I strongly recommend that he be brought to my clinic so that a proper and focused examination, including all necessary tests will be carried out to address his complaints.”

“Now after the letter was rejected, the man said he will not be going to DSS. Dear Nigerians; is that the way to treat somebody? The judiciary is no longer the judiciary we know because here is somebody you refused to release him, you refused to reinstate his bail, Supreme Court said he never jumped bail, you refused to send him to prison where we have professionals. You detained him in DSS custody and they don’t have adequate medical facility to address his case. I must continue to talk whether they like it or not.”

Meanwhile, the letter signed by Onye Godfrey Achilihu, Interventional Cardiologist, which was addressed to the Director General, Department of State Services, Abuja, is dated 16/07/2024.

It partly read: “Re: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“I am a United States Fellowship trained Interventional cardiologist, practicing in Abuja. I was accredited to visit him today on health grounds but the DSS could not attend to this request.

“Based on symptoms communicated to me, I strongly recommend that he be brought to my clinic so that a proper and focused examination, including all necessary tests will be carried out to address his complaints.”