Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has petitioned the World Medical Association (WMA), alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) is denying him adequate medical treatment.
In the petition released in September 2025, Kanu’s legal team said he is facing deteriorating health conditions while in DSS custody, and efforts to secure proper medical attention have been frustrated. According to the lawyers, repeated court orders directing that Kanu be granted access to his personal physicians have been ignored by the authorities.
Kanu urged the WMA to intervene urgently by mounting international pressure on the Nigerian government to comply with medical ethics and ensure his right to health. His legal representatives argued that the continued neglect poses a grave risk to his life, emphasizing that the appeal is both a human rights matter and a test of Nigeria’s adherence to global medical standards.
