The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written to U.S. President Donald Trump, the African Union (AU), and several international organizations, calling for urgent intervention in what he describes as his unlawful detention by the Nigerian government.
In the petition released to journalists, Kanu appealed to global powers and institutions, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, European Union, Amnesty International, Red Cross, ECOWAS Court, Kenya, South Africa, Israel, Japan, and many others.
Kanu, who has been in custody since June 2021, argued that his detention contravenes both Nigerian and international law. He described himself as a “captive of the Nigerian State,” faulting the Supreme Court’s December 15, 2023 ruling that overturned his earlier discharge and acquittal by the Court of Appeal on October 13, 2022.
According to him, the Court of Appeal had ruled that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya was illegal and nullified all proceedings at the Federal High Court. However, the same court allegedly granted an “illegal stay of execution” on October 28, 2022, which enabled his prolonged incarceration.
“This decision is a barbaric and illegal act, wholly unknown to criminal law jurisprudence anywhere in the world. It constitutes constitutional criminality of the highest order, exhibiting a shocking lack of fidelity to the Nigerian Constitution,” Kanu stated.
He further claimed that between October 2022 and December 2023, he was held without charges, in violation of Section 35 of the Nigerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter. He condemned the Supreme Court’s December 2023 verdict as unconstitutional and an instance of double jeopardy, while accusing the Nigerian judiciary of “reckless lawlessness and political bias.”
Nnamdi Kanu also accused the United Kingdom, where he holds citizenship, of complicity through its silence, which he said had enabled his prolonged detention.
In his appeal, the IPOB leader urged international bodies to pressure Nigeria into enforcing earlier rulings and constitutional provisions.
“I respectfully request urgent intervention: demanding that Nigeria comply with Abacha v. State and Ejiofor v. FRN by enforcing the Court of Appeal’s discharge retroactively to October 13, 2022, nullifying my arbitrary detention, declaring the October 28, 2022 stay illegal, and securing my immediate release,” he stated.
Nnamdi Kanu warned that his continued detention poses grave risks to his life, describing it as “persecution sustained through judicial lawlessness,” and called for swift global intervention to safeguard his rights.
