Diaspora Igbo Group Urges U.S. To Sanction Nigeria Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention, Trial
The Concerned Citizens of Igbo Nation in Diaspora (CCIND) has called on the United States government to sanction the Nigerian government over what it described as the continued human rights violations and support for terrorism, particularly the prolonged detention and trial of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emeka Livingstone, CCIND accused the Nigerian government of flouting international law and disregarding multiple court rulings that ordered Kanu’s release.
“The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is a prisoner of conscience that every conscientious world leader and democratic government must exercise their influence on the Nigerian government to let him go without condition,” the group said.
Kanu, the leader of the IPOB movement, has been in detention in Nigeria in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 after he was seized in Kenya under controversial circumstances.
He was reportedly held and tortured for eight days before being transferred to Nigeria, a process widely condemned as “extraordinary rendition.”
In October 2022, Nigeria’s Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Kanu, ruling that his trial was unlawful and ordering his release.
Despite this, the Nigerian government has kept him in the custody of the DSS, insisting that his case was not over.
Separately, a Kenyan High Court ruled in June 2025 that Kanu’s abduction and transfer to Nigeria were illegal, awarding him 10 million Kenyan shillings in damages.
Kanu’s continued detention has sparked international criticism, with human rights groups, lawyers, and diaspora organizations accusing Nigeria of undermining the rule of law.
The CCIND also drew attention to a ruling by a Canadian Federal Court in August 2025, which designated Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as terrorist organizations.
The group recalled that the Canadian court judgment implicated Nigerian politicians in orchestrating violence, intimidation, and electoral malpractice, including in the disputed 2023 election that brought President Bola Tinubu to power.
“This was also evident in the rigged 2023 presidential election that brought in the current President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, into power.
“Therefore, by implication Nigeria is a sponsor of terrorism and should be treated as such by any democratic country that upholds rule of law and fundamental human rights,” the group argued.
The group urged the U.S. government under President Donald Trump’s administration to take decisive measures against Nigeria.
The group asked the U.S. government to re-designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC), noting, “This is absolutely necessary as Nigeria now harbours terrorism friendly government with a grave potential of exporting terrorism to Europe and America.”
It further asked the U.S. government to “Compel the Canadian court-proscribed terrorist government of Nigeria to, as a matter of urgency, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is illegally detained by the Department of State Security (DSS).
“Deproscribe the indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and release all detained IPOB members without condition.
The United States government should further investigate all public and political office-holders incriminated in the Canadian Federal Court judgment and issue severe sanctions, including travel ban, international arrest warrants, and economic restrictions.
“And facilitate an internationally-supervised referendum for the indigenous people trapped in Nigeria to decide whether to be part of Nigeria or not.”
The group noted that Kanu “is a prisoner of conscience that every conscientious world leader and democratic government must exercise their influence and reach out to the Nigerian government to let him go without condition.”
The call comes amid heightened tensions between IPOB supporters and Nigerian authorities.
IPOB, which seeks independence for the Southeastern region of Nigeria, was designated a terrorist organization by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2017, a classification rejected by IPOB, diaspora groups, and human rights organizations.
Analysts warn that Kanu’s prolonged detention and international legal rulings against Nigeria could further strain Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, especially as diaspora groups intensify lobbying efforts in North America and Europe.
