Abuja, Nigeria – October 17, 2025 – In a courtroom outburst laced with desperation and defiance, Uchechi Okwu Kanu, wife of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, made an impassioned plea to Justice James Omotosho on Thursday, begging the Federal High Court not to seal her husband’s fate amid escalating health fears. “Does his life not matter to you? Don’t allow my husband to die in detention,” she implored, her voice cracking as she faulted both the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged medical negligence and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for what her legal team branded a “fabricated” health assessment that cleared Kanu for trial.
The emotional appeal unfolded during proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Kanu, 58, faces charges of treasonable felony, terrorism financing, and managing an unlawful society—allegations he denies, claiming political persecution for his separatist agitation in southeastern Nigeria. Uchechi, who traveled from the UK to attend the hearing, addressed the judge directly after the NMA panel’s report was tabled, insisting Kanu’s conditions—including chronic hypertension, tinnitus-induced insomnia, and heart enlargement—demand immediate external intervention. “This is not justice; it’s a death sentence disguised as due process,” she stated, echoing her husband’s earlier petitions that accused DSS custodians of falsifying records and denying proper care since his 2021 rendition from Kenya.
The flashpoint was the NMA’s October 16 report, ordered by Justice Omotosho to resolve dueling medical claims: Kanu’s personal physician, Prof. Emmanuel Anakwue, had warned of “life-threatening” risks like potassium deficiency and sleep deprivation, recommending transfer to the National Hospital Abuja or abroad. In contrast, the DSS-affiliated doctor deemed facilities adequate. The NMA panel, comprising five experts led by Dr. Benjamin Ojeniyi, concluded after “informal meetings” on September 18 that Kanu’s ailments were “not life-threatening,” affirming DSS medical capabilities and his fitness to stand trial. But Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, exploded in protest, accusing the body of “professional misconduct” for skipping a full examination and basing findings on hearsay. “They fabricated this report without touching him—served it five minutes before court after hoarding it for weeks. This is a sham to rush him to the gallows,” Ejimakor fumed, vowing appeals to higher courts and international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council.
Kanu himself, appearing gaunt via video link from DSS custody, nodded solemnly during Uchechi’s testimony, his hands clasped in restraint. In a September 29 letter to NMA President Dr. Balogun, he detailed horrors from his Kenyan arrest—“chained in darkness, denied food and meds for days”—and alleged post-rendition sabotage, like a doctor sacked for spotting low potassium levels, replaced by one who “falsified” results. He demanded the NMA’s September 22 preliminary report’s release (delayed per court order) and protection for independent doctors like Prof. Martin Aghaji, whom he credited with past life-saving interventions. “Tinnitus robs me of sleep; untreated, it’s killing me slowly,” Kanu wrote, invoking medical ethics and human rights norms.
Justice Omotosho, unmoved by the theatrics, upheld the NMA findings, granting Kanu just six days—from October 23—to open and close his defense, a timeline slammed as “inhuman” by supporters. He did concede private lawyer consultations in-court to avoid DSS surveillance, per senior advocate Kanu Agabi’s fears of eavesdropping. The ruling drew immediate backlash: IPOB spokespersons decried it as “state-orchestrated murder,” while Amnesty International renewed calls for Kanu’s unconditional release, citing “prolonged pretrial detention” as torture.
Social media ignited with #FreeNnamdiKanu surging to Nigeria’s top trends, amassing over 200,000 posts by evening. Southeastern governors, led by Enugu’s Peter Mbah, urged “compassionate review,” while northern critics like Senator Ali Ndume dismissed the health pleas as “delays tactics.” Uchechi, flanked by family including Kanu’s brother Kingsley, ended her address with a steely vow: “We’ll fight to the ECOWAS Court if needed—his life is Nigeria’s conscience.” As Kanu prepares his no-case submission, the stakes couldn’t be higher: In the shadow of Biafra’s ghosts, one woman’s cry echoes a nation’s divided soul.
NigeriaWire Justice Desk. Court filings and statements reviewed.