“Don’t Let My Husband Die in DSS Custody,” Nnamdi Kanu’s Wife Begs Court
Favour Michael Kanu, wife of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has made an emotional plea to Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja High Court, urging him not to allow her husband die in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In an open letter to the judge on Thursday, Mrs Kanu expressed fears for her husband’s life and accused the DSS of neglecting his worsening health condition. She also faulted the medical report tendered in court by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) panel, which claimed that the IPOB leader was fit to stand trial.
The report, presented by the prosecution team, stated that Kanu was not in any life-threatening condition. But his wife dismissed the report as “disjointed” and “unethical,” insisting that it was never produced by the NMA as the court had directed.
She maintained that her husband was critically ill and needed immediate treatment outside the DSS clinic.
“My husband is dying slowly in DSS custody. He needs urgent medical attention, not political drama. I beg you, my Lord, do not let him die in that dungeon,” she wrote in the letter.
Mrs Kanu pleaded with Justice Omotosho to permit her husband’s transfer to any standard medical facility within Abuja, warning that his condition was deteriorating rapidly due to “inhumane treatment” since his rendition from Kenya.
She lamented what she described as the court’s “indecisiveness” in handling the matter, saying it had deepened her fears that justice might be delayed until it is too late.
“When your Lordship took over Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case in March 2025, I believed strongly that justice was at hand, having read about your impeccable reputation and astute judgement. However, with the recent happenings in court, I can only wonder if the attributes were exaggerated,” she wrote.
“The current indecisiveness in every court sitting contrasts sharply with the ‘accelerated hearing’ you promised when you came onboard. The dramatic turn of events is looking like a deliberate plan to keep stalling the case while the defendant languishes in the DSS dungeon.”
The IPOB leader’s wife further accused the DSS of violating her husband’s human rights and disregarding medical ethics.
“He was dumped in a dark, poorly ventilated cell in the DSS dungeon, with no access to treat his wounds or reach out to his loved ones,” she alleged.
Mrs Kanu also questioned why her husband was being denied access to adequate healthcare when public officials routinely travel abroad for treatment.
“Why will your Lordship deny Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the opportunity to be transferred to at least any ‘manageable’ hospital in Abuja rather than subjecting him to that poorly-equipped DSS health center, the same environment and same people that kept him in that condition?” she asked.
She reminded the judge of his earlier remarks that Kanu must remain alive and healthy to stand trial.
“In one of the court sittings, you mentioned that MNK has to be alive and healthy to stand for his case. What changed, Your Lordship? Why is MNK’s failing health not being taken seriously? Does his life not matter to you? I make bold to say that Nnamdi Kanu has been gravely victimized for too long,” she wrote.
Kanu has remained in DSS custody since his extradition to Nigeria from Kenya in 2021. He is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism-related offences.
