By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has again raised the alarm over the deteriorating health of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, while still in the custody of the Directorate of State Security (DSS), saying that he was rushed to an ill-equipped DSS clinic on a medical emergency in Abuja on Monday February 27, 2023.

Alerting the public in a statement on Friday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said it is not oblivious of plans by the Nigerian Government and the British High Commissioner in Abuja, to kill Kanu in DSS solitary confinement, warning that they should be ready for the consequences.

The statement partly reads: “We have endured all provocations; assaults, killings, illegal abductions, detentions, kidnappings, and extraordinary rendition of our leader from Kenya to Nigeria.

“The Nigeria government have also refused to obey their own court orders to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB members illegally detained in various detention facilities. Nobody should blame us for any action going forward.

“We are warning the Nigeria government and DSS agents to release our leader, whom they are illegally holding in solitary confinement irrespective of the court and UN working Group orders to allow him to attend to his deteriorating health.

“Rushing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in emergency to an ill-equipped DSS clinic is cosmetic and can cause more harm to him. He needs his personal physician, who understands his medical history to take care of him.

“DSS is using solitary confinement as torture to suffer Mazi Nnamdi KANU to break his resolve. We want the Nigeria government and DSS to understand that neither killings, abductions, nor solitary confinement can break MNK and IPOB members resolve to restore Biafra. Biafra restoration is a divine project that we have sworn to accomplish, no matter the cost.”

The group said it deflated Nigeria Government’s expectations to cause confusion and insecurity during the presidential election, saying: “We disappointed them because we are not anti-democratic.

“They had lobbied the international community to label IPOB as those that will create insecurity in the South East region, but we disappointed them. They thought Mazi Nnamdi KANU would foil their agenda during the fraudulent presidential selection they call elections. Hence, they held him illegally in detaintion to carry out their election rigging.

“Now, the cabals have completed their agenda in the elections. They should release Mazi Nnamdi KANU to undergo a much needed heart surgery urgently.”

It insisted that IPOB's neutral position and determination to ensure peace during their presidential selection was to prove them wrong and to tell them that IPOB is ahead of their games and is in control of Biafraland.

What we did was to safeguard our territory from invaders deployed to destroy it.

“Today, nobody is blaming IPOB as part of their rigged presidential election. Every region was visited with one crisis or another during the fraudulent election, but the South East was peaceful.

“This is to show them that IPOB has control of our territory and is more intelligent than all of them. Therefore, we maintain that Nigeria is irredeemable. Biafra is the only and our best option.

“We want the Nigeria government, their security agencies, and those foreigners who are remotely interested in the corrupt political system in Nigeria to understand that IPOB believes in self-determination through peaceful means.

“That does not mean that we are cowards. We shall do whatever we can do to defend ourselves and our territory going forward. Amnesty International Nigeria, who accused IPOB to be against Ndigbo because of the charade election, should tell the Nigeria government to respect their court and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu now.

“Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi KANU, is critically ill in the DSS solitary confinement and must be released unconditionally to attend to his deteriorating health urgently. The Nigeria government must do the needful now that there is time to avoid negative consequences that may follow.”

Update news