Medical Professor Aghaji Apprehended Over Nnamdi Kanu's Health Report

News has surfaced regarding the apprehension of Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, a medical professional reportedly responsible for an independent health evaluation of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. According to Chief Barrister Maxwell Opara, a legal practitioner, Professor Aghaji was taken into custody from his home in Independence Layout, Enugu State, on Friday, July 3, 2026, with the lawyer making this disclosure on Saturday.

Opara indicated that Professor Aghaji had allegedly produced a standalone medical report concerning Kanu's well-being, which, in the lawyer's view, differed significantly from the official medical assessment previously released by the Department of State Services (DSS). In a formal statement, Opara relayed: "Information has reached me that Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, the medical expert who reportedly issued independent medical reports on the health condition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was arrested at his residence in Independence Layout, Enugu State, on 3rd July, 2026." The lawyer further elaborated that "Prof. Aghaji's reported medical assessments were said to have countered the official medical report presented by the Department of State Services, DSS."

The legal representative offered no additional specifics concerning the alleged arrest, such as which agency conducted it or if any charges had been formally brought against the professor. Nevertheless, Opara voiced his apprehension regarding the incident and appealed to pertinent professional associations, civil society groups, and other interested parties to guarantee adherence to due process in addressing the situation.

Specifically, Opara called upon the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and various civil society organizations to closely observe the unfolding events and uphold the principles of the rule of law. He affirmed: "We call on the Nigerian Medical Association, Nigeria Bar Association, Civil Society Group and other relevant authorities to ensure that due process and the rule of law is strictly observed and nobody should be intimidated for speaking the truth."

This purported arrest takes place against a backdrop of ongoing legal battles involving Kanu, whose custody and medical state have consistently drawn considerable public and legal scrutiny. At the point of publishing this report, neither the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, nor any other security outfit had officially corroborated the claimed arrest.

Back in October 2025, SaharaReporters disclosed that a medical assessment conducted by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) brought to light troubling information concerning the declining health of the imprisoned IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The NMA report underscored a progression of deteriorating symptoms, which medical professionals cautioned could prove fatal without immediate intervention.

The document, which SaharaReporters obtained, was titled “Nigerian Medical Association Independent Investigative (Multidisciplinary) Medical Report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu” and dated September 23, 2025. It detailed that the 58-year-old Kanu has been contending with numerous health issues, such as intense fatigue, impaired vision, chest discomfort, challenges with urination, frequent nosebleeds, tingling sensations in his extremities, and instances of spontaneous hematuria (blood in his urine).

This comprehensive report, compiled subsequent to a thorough clinical examination by a multidisciplinary team comprising eight medical specialists, further indicated that Kanu, who has been held in prolonged detention by the Department of State Services (DSS), has a history of hypertension spanning more than a decade and is reportedly on a intricate regimen of medications. The NMA report specifically noted: “He developed generalised fatigue and muscle weakness, worse on waking up from sleep and does not get worse with activity.”