The Digest:
The Department of State Services (DSS) has rejected claims that detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu requires urgent transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja, calling the reports "exaggerated" and made in "bad faith." In a counter-affidavit, the agency insisted its medical facilities are fully capable of managing his health. This clash over care and custody reflects deeper tensions between perceived medical urgency and state security
Key Points
- The DSS argues Kanu’s health issues are being overstated to create a false public narrative.
- The agency claims its medical center has qualified personnel and equipment to handle his conditions.
- Kanu’s current medical consultant, Prof. Martin Aghaji, recommended transfer due to "deteriorating health."
- DSS alleges Aghaji made unilateral changes to treatment plans and excluded DSS medical officers.
- The agency insists moving Kanu to a public hospital would pose serious security risks.
- Kanu’s legal team filed a motion for transfer, citing low potassium, organ concerns, and an emerging lump.
- A Federal High Court declined to hear the motion due to jurisdictional limits after the vacation period.
The dispute highlights ongoing friction between Kanu’s right to healthcare and the state’s priority of secure detention, a standoff where medicine and metaphor collide.
Sources: Premium Times, Daily Post
