A report has emerged on the arrest of Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, a medical expert said to have conducted an independent medical assessment of the health condition of imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The arrest of Aghaji was made by a legal practitioner, Chief Barrister Maxwell Opara, on Saturday who claimed that the professor was arrested at his residence in Independence Layout, Enugu State, on Friday, July 3, 2026.
According to Opara, Prof. Aghaji had reportedly issued an independent medical report on Kanu’s health, which he said contradicted the official medical report earlier presented by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement, Opara said, “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.”
He further stated, “Prof. Aghaji’s reported medical assessments were said to have countered the official medical report presented by the Department of State Services, DSS.”
The lawyer did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of the reported arrest, including the agency responsible for carrying it out or whether any charges had been filed against the professor.
However, he expressed concerns over the development and urged relevant professional bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that due process is followed in handling the matter.
Opara specifically appealed to the Nigerian Medical Association, the Nigerian Bar Association and civil society groups to monitor the situation and safeguard the rule of law.
“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,” he stated.
The reported arrest comes amid sustained legal proceedings involving Kanu, whose detention and health condition have remained subjects of public attention and legal contest.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation of the alleged arrest from the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency.
In October 2025, SaharaReporters reported that a medical examination by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) revealed alarming details about the deteriorating health of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The report highlights a pattern of worsening symptoms, which medical experts warn could become life-threatening without urgent intervention.
According to the document obtained by SaharaReporters, titled “Nigerian Medical Association Independent Investigative (Multidisciplinary) Medical Report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, and dated September 23, 2025, the 58-year-old has been battling multiple complications, including severe fatigue, blurred vision, chest pain, urinary difficulty, recurrent nosebleeds, numbness in the limbs, and episodes of spontaneous hematuria (blood in urine).
The report, which was prepared after a detailed clinical examination by a multidisciplinary team of eight medical professionals, outlines that Kanu, who had been in prolonged detention by the Department of State Services (DSS), has been living with hypertension for over ten years and was said to be on a complex combination of drugs.
“He developed generalised fatigue and muscle weakness, worse on waking up from sleep and does not get worse with activity,” the NMA report stated.
(SaharaReporters)