The Department of State Services (DSS) has put a lie to the claim of the deteriorating health made by the Biafra nation agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to justify his latest request for transfer from the custody of the secret police to the National Hospital in Abuja.
The DSS which faulted the claims by Kanu, stressed that the health issue raised by his Medical Consultant was exaggerated and made in bad faith just to send false narrative on health challenges to the public.
The Service in a 37-paragraph counter affidavit, pointedly opposed Kanu’s quest to move to the National Hospital, Abuja, averred that it has one of the best medical facilities in the country with capable and qualified personnel that can handle any health challenge of the leader of the proscribed IPOB.
The counter affidavit which was deposed to by Dr Mohammed Nasir, a Medical Officer with the DSS averred that Kanu is enjoying maximum comfort in its custody, safe, secured as well as enjoying meals of his choice upon demands.
The DSS further said that at Kanu’s request, several medical Specialists from the National Hospital and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital were brought for him to cater for his medical care and emphasised that the IPOB leader is in a stable health condition, thus dismissed the claims of suffering deteriorating sickness.
According to the counter affidavit, in July 2021, a Consultant of Heartland Cardiovascular Consultants Limited, Dr Onye Achillihu was engaged for the treatment of Kanu.
While expressing shock at how Prof Martin Aghaji, a retired Professor from the University of Nigeria, Nsuka, Enugu came about the deteriorating sickness of Kanu, the Secret Police stressed that the exclusions of its Medical Officers who have been managing Kanu without hitches, cast doubt on the good faith and credibility of the report and recommendations,
DSS noted that in 2021, when Kanu was brought into its custody, he had hypertension of five years duration with hypertensive heart disease, low serum potassium levels and recurrent nose bleedings, saying that Specialists were quickly engaged with Dr Abiodun Olugbenga of the Federal Medical Center, Abuja as medical team leader and was at Kanu’s request, replaced by Dr Onye Achillihu, who in the same circumstances, was in 2025 replaced by Professor Martin Aghaji.
The DSS said that upon the take over, Prof. Aghaji was alleged to have disrupted the mode of treatment of Kanu as he singularly made a sweeping adjustment and attending to him at the exclusions of DSS medical officers leading to a protest that was ignored.
The Agency also asserted that a letter was written to Prof Aghaji on the consequences of his actions that can lead to blame of DSS on any negative event, but was also ignored by Aghaji.
According to the DSS, instead, Aghaji was reported to have on August 24, 2025 unilaterally caused a letter that the continued detention of Kanu without adequate access to health care facilities was improper.
The DSS further said that before writing the letter, Prof Aghaji has never faulted, discredited or score low, the facilities and standard of the DSS Medical Center, thus emphasised that the claims of Aghaji was speculative, raised an unjustifiable medical alarm and a mere emotional outburst not expected from a medical expert of his calibre.
The DSS pointed out that there was no need to admit Kanu to a private ward in public hospital as recommended by Aghaji in his letter, stressing that the National hospital which was recommended has no security facilities, personnel and infrastructure that can guarantee the safety and security of Kanu.
It further said that the alleged identified ailments of Kanu were exaggerated as they are those that can be handled effectively at the DSS health facilities.
The DSS noted that Kanu once jumped bail which led the Court to revoke his bail conditions, adding that it would take full militarization to secure safety and well-being of Kanu if moved to the National Hospital as such would also cause inconveniences to other patients and their families.
Kanu had through his lawyers led by Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN, had filed a motion on notice seeking the transfer from the DSS custody to the National hospital, Abuja.
The motion on notice was predicated on a letter and recommendations by Aghaji that the detainee was suffering deteriorating health issues.
