Koko Maxwella 
ABUJA, Nigeria- The Federal High Court in Abuja will today hear an application filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from Department of State Services (DSS) custody to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical care.
The motion, filed on September 3 by senior lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), follows what Kanu’s legal team described as a “worrisome decline” in his health while in detention.
Vacation judge, Justice Musa Liman, had earlier granted leave for the application to be heard during the court’s annual recess, ruling that “the right to health is as important as the right to life.”
In a supporting affidavit, Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel, said doctors recently diagnosed kidney and liver complications, dangerously low potassium levels, and a lump under his armpit requiring urgent medical investigation.
Agabi argued that despite doctors’ recommendations, the DSS ignored appeals to transfer Kanu, insisting that the court intervention was necessary to prevent further deterioration.
Kanu, who has been in DSS detention since 2021 on terrorism-related charges, also has a pending bail application filed in May that remains unheard.
The court is expected to hear arguments from both parties before ruling on the transfer request.
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