Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Enugu State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association has strongly condemned the arrest of Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji, an internationally acclaimed cardiothoracic surgeon, who was reportedly taken from his residence in the early hours of Friday, 3 July 2026, by alleged security operatives. In a communiqué issued on Saturday, 4 July 2026, at the end of an emergency meeting of its State Officers' Council and released to journalists on Sunday, 5 July 2026, the NMA said the specific reasons for the medical icon's arrest had not been officially communicated by security agencies, nearly 48 hours after the operation. The association condemned what it described as the "Gestapo-like manner" in which the elder statesman was arrested and demanded his immediate release or arraignment in accordance with due process.
The communiqué, jointly signed by the NMA Enugu State Chairman, Dr Sunday Okafor, and the General Secretary, Dr Chima Edeoga, said the association had launched extensive engagements with relevant government and security authorities to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. Offices contacted include the Office of the Security Adviser to the Enugu State Governor, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force through the Divisional Police Officer of the Independence Layout Division and the Enugu State Commissioner of Police. "While recognising the constitutional responsibilities of security agencies, the Council maintains that every citizen deserves to be treated with dignity and in accordance with due process," the communiqué read in part.
Professor Aghaji, a former President of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, former Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Nigeria, and a surgeon of global pedigree with nearly five decades of distinguished service, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria's foremost medical icons. Sources close to the matter have linked his arrest to an independent medical report he prepared on the health condition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, which reportedly contradicted the medical assessment presented by the Department of State Services in the course of Kanu's trial before an Abuja Federal High Court. Kanu's lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, had taken to his Twitter handle at the weekend to alert the public about Aghaji's arrest, alleging that it must be in connection with the medical report he issued on Kanu.
The NMA disclosed that it had notified its national leadership and was taking steps to protect the constitutional rights of the elder statesman. "We will continue engaging all relevant authorities with a view to securing the immediate release of Professor Aghaji or ensuring that his constitutional rights are fully protected, including access to his family, legal representation and necessary medical care where applicable," the statement added. The association also announced plans to convene an emergency general meeting of all its members in Enugu to deliberate on the matter and determine its next line of professional and lawful action, a move that often precedes a total shutdown of medical services. While urging its members to remain calm, united and vigilant, the NMA leadership assured that every legitimate effort was being deployed to ensure the safety and welfare of the high-profile surgeon.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command has distanced itself from the arrest. The command's spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, who spoke to Punch correspondents on the issue, said, "The Command didn't make such an arrest, neither do we have the mentioned name in our custody". This denial has deepened the mystery surrounding the operation, with no security agency yet officially claiming responsibility for the detention.
Human rights lawyer Maxwell Opara, who first raised the alarm over the arrest, alleged that Aghaji was taken from his residence in Independence Layout, Enugu, on Friday. Another lawyer and public policy analyst, Barrister Christopher Chidera, a member of the Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Defence Consortium, described the arrest as proof that Kanu's "persecution" is politically motivated rather than a legal issue. "The arrest on 3rd July 2026 of Emeritus Professor Martin Aghaji is not the detention of one man. It is a calculated declaration by the Nigerian state that truth itself is now a crime," Chidera said in a statement on Sunday. "Professor Aghaji's only offence is that he did what any ethical physician of his stature would do – he issued an independent medical assessment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's health that contradicted the self-serving narrative of the Department of State Services. For that, security operatives stormed his residence in Independence Layout, Enugu". Fearing for the health and safety of the aging professor, the NMA demanded that the authorities grant him immediate access to his family, legal team and medical care. As of the time of filing this report, no official reason has been given for Aghaji's arrest, and it remains unclear which agency is holding him or where he is being detained.
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