I have serious health conditions– Nnamdi Kanu reveals health struggles in DSS Custody, appeals to NMA

I have serious health conditions– Nnamdi Kanu reveals health struggles in DSS Custody, appeals to NMA

Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has disclosed a list of serious health conditions he is currently battling while in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS).

In a letter of complaint and appeal addressed to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kanu detailed multiple health issues, including tinnitus and sleep deprivation, which he described as among the “gravest threats” to his survival.

Kanu wrote that tinnitus, a condition characterized by a persistent internal sound, “exacerbates my hypertension”, placing him at heightened risk of “stroke, collapse, and sudden death.”

He also disclosed suffering from multiple other conditions, including diseases of the liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, prostate, and white matter disease, as well as sleep apnea.

However, he emphasised that “most critically, tinnitus, the constant internal ‘chirping’ sound in my ears”, continues to severely affect his health.

The letter, titled ‘The Danger of Tinnitus and Sleep Deprivation’, reads in part: “Among the gravest threats to my survival today is tinnitus. The incessant chirping in my ears is more than a nuisance: It robs me of sleep, sometimes making rest completely impossible; It exacerbates my hypertension.
It magnifies chest pain, fainting risks, and psychological strain; It undermines my body’s natural capacity to heal.”

He recounted a failed medical procedure by DSS doctors, stating: “DSS doctors once proposed to drain fluid from my inner ear but abandoned the plan due to the risk of permanent hearing loss. Since then, no serious effort has been made to treat this condition, even though its effects are cumulative and potentially devastating.”

Kanu further warned about the life-threatening combination of his ailments: “Sleep deprivation, when combined with existing hypertension, organ strain, and potassium instability, places me in immediate danger of stroke, collapse, or sudden death.
Neglect of tinnitus and sleep deprivation shows a reckless disregard for the life-threatening impact of untreated conditions.”

The IPOB leader also accused a DSS-appointed doctor, Nasiru Mohammed, of falsifying his medical records: “From the moment he assumed control, Dr. Nasiru Mohammed began falsifying my test results, recording normal potassium levels when in reality they were dangerously low.
When challenged as to why a potassium, sparing drug like Eplerenone was still prescribed if my potassium was supposedly normal, he provided no medical justification.”

Kanu claimed his health continued to deteriorate under Mohammed’s care: “Under his so-called care, I continued to experience: Frequent nosebleeds; Fainting episodes and near-collapse; Severe light-headedness; Unrelenting chest pains on my left side; Debilitating headaches; Swelling of the feet.

Over 50 blood samples have been taken during my time in DSS custody, but these have yielded no improvement in my health under the management of DSS-appointed doctors.”

He further alleged that the DSS prevented his longtime personal physician, Dr. Cfine, from treating him, using intimidation: “My longtime personal physician, Dr. Cfine, who has treated me faithfully for decades, was barred from access and intimidated into silence. This exclusion lasted until the intervention of Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, a globally respected surgeon and medical teacher.
It was his timely intervention that saved me from imminent collapse.”

Kanu said that under Dr. Cfine’s care, his condition began to improve: “Potassium level rose modestly from 2.1 to 2.9 mmol/L — still below safe levels, but a clear sign of genuine medical progress. My episodes of nosebleeds, fainting, and light-headedness ceased.
Swollen feet reduced, and the headaches subsided to an occasional level.”

Professor Aghaji also confirmed and documented broader health concerns, Kanu said: “In addition, Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji confirmed and documented broader systemic health problems, including: Liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, prostate, and white matter disease; Sleep apnea; and most critically, tinnitus the constant internal ‘chirping’ sound in my ears that often makes sleep impossible still persists and making my life unbearable.

“It is no exaggeration to say that without Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji’s intervention, my health would have deteriorated beyond recovery. Yet instead of supporting him, the DSS has subjected him to the same pattern of intimidation used against Dr. Cfine.”