The lead counsel of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled founder and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have disclosed new details about the health situation of his client and how he is been treated by the Department of State Security Service (DSS), in whose custody Kanu has been for over one year.
WHAT WE KNOW
The IPOB leader according to his lead counsel, Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor is still currently been denied adequate medical attention in total defiance to order of court of competent jurisdiction by the Department of State Security Service (DSS), who have detained him for about 14 months now.
The lawyer says that the DSS have continually refused Nnamdi Kanu access to his personal medical doctor for the treatment of some disease, which he identified as “concomitant excruciating pains occasioned by his gastro intestine disorder.”
He raised this alarm following his visitation to the DSS detention facility on Thursday in accordance to court order, which requires the DSS to allow weekly visitation to Kanu by his legal team.
Barr Ejiofor says that this week`s visitation was “to ascertain the DSS level of compliance with providing Onyendu (Nnamdi Kanu) the requisite medical treatment that would address his deteriorating health condition.”
He says that the visit have now unearthed the decision of the DSS to insist on fragrantly disobeying the court order to allow access of a personal doctor to Kanu in the detention facility.
According to Ejiofor, rather than obey the court order, “the lawless DSS immediately resorted to local chemist store to procure substandard drugs to be administered on” the IPOB leader.
BACKGROUND
Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor is the lead counsel to the IPOB leader who has been in detention in Nigeria for over one year.
Nnamdi Kanu was kidnapped in Kenya and forced back to Nigeria in an extra ordinary rendition, which was overseen by agents of the Nigeria government in suspected connivance with the Kenyan government.
The Kenyan government have since denied knowledge of the operation that led to Nnamdu Kanu`s abduction from the country. They claim that they only got wind of the development long after he has already been taken outside the Kenyan border.
However, up until date it is still unknown what actions or diplomatic steps the Kenyan government have taken to register their displeasure to the Nigerian government.
Clariform notes that about this same time, Nnamdi Kanu`s lawyer, Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor was almost murdered in his country home in Orifite, Anambra State by criminals who were reported to be agents of the Nigerian government.
This matter was not publicly known to have been denied publicly or investigated by the Nigerian government.
Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra have also alleged that the British government may have a hand in what happened to the IPOB leader in Kenya and the circumstances in which he was abducted.
His lawyer have said that the UK government have little or nothing to help Nnamdi Kanu, who is a British citizen, according to Barr Ejiofor.
There has also been accusations even within the IPOB organization of possible betrayal internally by some persons close to Nnamdi Kanu.
This suspicion has been fueled by the fact that Kanu`s disappearance in Kenya was never disclosed by his “handlers” or group for about 8 days, until his abduction was made public by the Nigerian government.
Since his detention in the DSS facility in Abuja Nigeria, Barr Ejiofor have continuously raised the alarm that his health has been ignored by the government and order of the court for adequate medical attention for him has been observed in the breach.
Nigeria went to a 30 months’ war with the then Biafra, which was the then Eastern region of Nigeria.
The regional government was governed by the late Odumegwu Ojukwu. Biafra lost the war to the Nigerian side and also reportedly lost more than a million lives, most of which were lost to hunger than the enemy`s fire power.
NOTABLE QUOTE
Following Thursday`s visit at the DSS detention facility to meet with Kanu, Barr Ejiofor released the following statement:
“As usual, the Court-Ordered routine visit to our indefatigable Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was conducted today, at the DSS Headquarters Abuja, where Onyendu is still being held in solitary confinement for over 14 months.
Today’s visit was centered on our curiosity to ascertain the DSS level of compliance with providing Onyendu the requisite medical treatment that would address his deteriorating health condition.
Sadly, we made startling discovery that despite the alarm raised on Monday, calling for the intervention of responsible foreign Governments and institutions, on the DSS flagrant disobedience of Orders of Court, particularly in denying Onyendu access to his personal medical doctor and medication, the lawless DSS immediately resorted to local chemist store to procure substandard drugs to be administered on Onyendu.
Since it is now obvious that the DSS does not have the facility, capacity and/or resources to manage Onyendu’s deteriorating health condition, we are compelled to publicly implore the DSS, to allow us have Onyendu back unconditionally, or better still, allow us to purchase the prescribed drugs for Onyendu pending his unconditional release from their custody.
May we also seize this medium to inform the World that Onyendu has not eaten anything in the past 48 hours due to the concomitant excruciating pains occasioned by his gastro intestine disorder, which the DSS have deliberately failed to avail him with the prescribed possible medical relief.
With this development, we are now convinced that the Federal Government of Nigeria is ostensibly afraid of the anticipated positive outcome of the Court of Appeal’s judgement. Hence, they are doing everything possible to subject our Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to severe torture, and inhuman/degrading treatment before he finally regains his freedom. But, be assured that this strategy is dead on arrival.
Nevertheless, we assure you, UmuChineke, that our defense team eminently led by the indefatigable Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is not relenting in all actions we are taking to correct this anomaly and to put to a halt, this seemingly impunity and lawlessness being brazenly exhibited by the DSS” said Barr Ejiofor.
COMMENTARY
Health care is a fundamental right even to those held by government. Kanu`s right to life entitles him to medical care, even in detention.
It is worthy of note that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has never been convicted of any crime in Nigeria, or even in any part of the world according available information.
On the contrary, the treasonable charges preferred against him by the Nigerian government have been found to be very shaky and may not entirely stand the legal fireworks by Kanu`s legal team.
So far eight out of the 15 counts have been thrown out by the Federal High Court, while the remaining 7 counts are been fought at the level of the court of appeal in Abuja.
However, even convicted criminals enjoy certain inalienable right including right to healthcare. This includes convicted inmates on a death roll until the day of their lawful execution in accordance to the way and manner ordered by the court.
There is no reason Nnamdi Kanu who is globally seen as a prisoner of conscience should be denied medical rights, especially if his life is threatened as alleged by his counsel.
Moreover, the Federal Government and it’s agency the DSS should be careful not to play into the hands of anarchy by deliberately acting in manners that stokes crisis in the southeast.
The would be consequences of the death of the IPOB leader in the detention facility of the DSS may not be as simple as the current insecurity situation in the southeast region.
There is no doubt that any such development will immediate erupt into uncontrollable violence in the country at large, may run beyond the capacity of the security operatives.
The country is already in enough troubled waters with continuously deteriorating security situation, which has undoubtedly overwhelmed the security agencies. Stoking fresh violence with the treatment been mated out to the IPOB leader is a very dangerous game, even for the government.
