By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Global Defence Consortium (MNGDC) has rejected what it described as false, recycled, and insultingly predictable claim by the Nigeria Police Force that a citizen labelled an “IPOB sponsor died of illness' in their custody, insisting that the Police lied.

It said that it was rather a State-Sanctioned Custodial Murder, and Not “Death from Illness”.

According to a statement issued by Barrister Christopher Chidera for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Global Defence Consortium (MNGDC) on Monday, November 3, 2025, the group said, "The Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Global Defence Consortium (MNGDC) outrightly rejects the Police claim, saying:

"Let the truth be stated without varnish:

“This was not a death by illness. This was a custodial killing — a state-sanctioned execution carried out under the cover of authority.

"The “Illness” Excuse Is a Criminal Cover-Up: The “he died of illness in custody” script is the oldest lie in Nigeria’s security propaganda manual — used each time security agents torture, starve, brutalise, or secretly execute detainees.

"No Nigerian believes this insulting tale anymore. If the Police have nothing to hide, they must answer: Who diagnosed the so-called “illness”? Where is the medical report? Why was he detained if he was allegedly sick? Why was he not granted bail or taken to a hospital?

"Silence is admission of guilt. This death happened because he was in Police custody — not in spite of it.

"The Tag “IPOB” Has Become a Death Warrant in Nigeria: In today’s Nigeria, once security agents brand a person “IPOB”, due process is suspended and the person is treated as disposable.

"This citizen was not tried, not convicted, not sentenced — yet he ended up dead. That is extrajudicial killing, plain and simple.”

The group accused the State of effectively authorising its security forces to operate an unofficial “kill-on-suspicion” policy against Biafran-identified citizens, noting that this Is State-Enabled Terror, Not Law Enforcement.

It stressed that Police Force that routinely produces corpses from its custody is no longer a law enforcement institution, but a State-protected execution squad.

It added: "This is exactly what General T.Y. Danjuma (Rtd) warned Nigeria about — that the armed forces have become complicit in violence against the same citizens they are funded to protect.

"Today, security uniforms have become the camouflage of terror, and State authority has become a shield for human rights atrocities.

"The State Is Fully Responsible for This Killing: The Constitution is clear: once a person is in State custody, the State assumes full responsibility for their safety, life, health, and welfare.

"If he was tortured — the State killed him.

If he was denied medical care — the State killed him. If he “fell ill” under detention — the State still killed him. There is no escape clause. The State is liable for this death.

Stating its position and demands without negotiation, the MNGDC said,

"Immediate independent autopsy and coroner’s inquest, not a Police-arranged smokescreen.

"Public disclosure of detention records, including interrogation logs and names of officers on duty.

"Criminal prosecution of all officers directly and indirectly involved in the torture, neglect, or killing of the deceased.

"An end to the State-approved profiling and extermination of citizens labelled as “IPOB”.

This must not be swept under the carpet. Nigeria is becoming a country where citizens enter police custody alive and leave in body bags, and this is no longer acceptable."

Concluding, it noted that the era of swallowing the lies of security agencies is over. The public now recognises the pattern:

"Arrest. Detain. Torture. Kill. Blame “illness.” Issue press release.

"This latest killing will not be buried with silence. The MNGDC will pursue full accountability through all available legal channels until those responsible face justice.”