Favour Michael Kanu, wife of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has appealed to Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja High Court to intervene urgently to save her husband’s life, alleging that his health has deteriorated in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In an open letter addressed to Justice Omotosho on Thursday, Mrs Kanu expressed deep concern over what she described as a “worsening health crisis” for her husband and questioned the credibility of a medical report presented in court by the prosecution.
According to her, the report — which was said to have been issued under the supervision of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) — falsely claimed that Kanu was not suffering from any life-threatening condition and was fit to continue standing trial.
Mrs Kanu disputed the findings, alleging that the report was “manipulated” and “unethically presented” in court, without proper medical examination by an independent team. She insisted that her husband remained critically ill and in urgent need of specialized treatment outside the DSS medical facility.
“I plead with your Lordship to allow my husband to be moved to another hospital within Abuja,” she wrote. “Keeping him in the same DSS clinic that contributed to his deteriorating condition would be a grave injustice.”
She expressed disappointment over what she described as delays in court proceedings and a lack of decisive action to address her husband’s worsening health.
“When your Lordship took over Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case in March 2025, I believed justice was finally at hand,” the letter read. “But the current indecisiveness in court and the prolonged delays suggest a deliberate attempt to keep stalling the matter while my husband languishes in the DSS dungeon.”
The letter also accused the DSS of subjecting Kanu to inhumane treatment since his arrest and extradition from Kenya, including solitary confinement and denial of adequate medical care.
Mrs Kanu further criticized Nigeria’s healthcare system and questioned why the court would deny her husband access to better treatment when public officials routinely travel abroad for medical care.
“Your Lordship, you know very well that the medical system in this country is broken — even the President and top politicians seek treatment abroad,” she wrote. “Why then deny Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the opportunity to be treated in a facility with better capacity here in Abuja?”
She concluded by reminding the court of its earlier stance that Kanu must be “alive and healthy to stand trial,” asking what had changed since that declaration.
“What has changed, Your Lordship? Does his life no longer matter? My husband has been victimized for too long. I only ask that he be allowed the medical attention that can save his life,” she said.
