Nigerian Medical Association’s Statement on Nnamdi Kanu: A Shameful Compromise Of Medical Ethics

Nigerian Medical Association’s Statement on Nnamdi Kanu: A Shameful Compromise Of Medical Ethics

This shameful compromise by the Nigerian Medical Association is simply the reason no foreign politician especially from Europe comes to Nigeria for medicals, and even Nigerian politicians too fears treating themselves in Nigeria because they are afraid of their own medical association.

So yesterday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) informed the court that the health condition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is “not life-threatening,” and therefore, he can continue with his trial. This statement coming from a professional body expected to uphold truth and medical ethics above political influence, has sparked outrage and disbelief among Nigerians who have followed Kanu’s ordeal since his illegal rendition from Kenya in 2021.

It is no longer news that Nnamdi Kanu was brutally tortured, beaten and subjected to inhumane treatment during his abduction in Kenya before he was extraordinarily rendered to Nigeria, an act that violated international laws and multiple human rights conventions. Since then, reports from his lawyers and family members have consistently indicated that Nnamdi Kanu has been denied proper medical care, leading to internal injuries, heart complications and sustained trauma. This report also was confirmed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in court that he is suffering from “congestive heart failure”.

Yet, instead of standing on the side of truth and humanity, the NMA chose to join the long list of compromised institutions working to legitimize injustice in Nigeria. The same medical establishment that remains silent when politicians neglect them and fly abroad to treat common malaria or headaches now claims that Kanu’s health is stable enough for continuous detention and trial. What a contradiction!

This development further proves that under the current administration, every critical institution in Nigeria starting from the judiciary to the media, security agencies and now professional bodies has been systematically weakened, manipulated and weaponized to serve the interests of those in power. The goal is clear: to destroy Nnamdi Kanu and suppress the legitimate cry for self-determination among his followers.

Medical associations around the world exist to protect life and advocate for the health rights of all citizens, regardless of political status. Sadly, in Nigeria, the Nigerian Medical Association has chosen to align itself with the state’s oppressive machinery rather than with the oath of medical ethics it swore to uphold.

History will remember this moment. The Nigerian government may continue to use its influence to silence voices of truth, but it cannot rewrite the facts that Nnamdi Kanu is a victim of extraordinary rendition, political persecution and medical neglect. The NMA’s submission to the court is not a reflection of medical fact, but a reflection of political fear and institutional compromise.

The world must not remain silent. Human rights organizations, the international community and all people of conscience must call out this travesty of justice. The health and freedom of Nnamdi Kanu is not just a Biafran issue, it is a human rights issue and history will judge every institution that chose silence over integrity.

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