Diaspora Igbo Group Urges U.S. to Sanction Nigeria Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention
The Concerned Citizens of Igbo Nation in Diaspora (CCIND) has called on the United States government to impose sanctions on Nigeria over what it described as continued human rights violations and support for terrorism, citing the prolonged detention and trial of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emeka Livingstone, the group 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 has been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, after being seized in Kenya under controversial circumstances. He was allegedly 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 him, ruling that his trial was unlawful and ordering his release. Despite this, the government has continued to hold him in DSS custody, arguing that his case is ongoing. A Kenyan High Court also ruled in June 2024 that Kanu’s abduction and transfer to Nigeria were illegal, awarding him 10 million Kenyan shillings in damages.
Kanu’s prolonged detention has sparked global criticism from human rights groups, lawyers, and diaspora organizations, who accuse Nigeria of undermining the rule of law. CCIND further cited a ruling by a Canadian Federal Court in August 2025, which designated Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as terrorist organizations. The judgment accused Nigerian politicians of orchestrating violence, intimidation, and electoral malpractice, particularly during the disputed 2023 election that brought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to power. The group argued that the ruling implicates Nigeria as a sponsor of terrorism and urged democratic nations to treat the country accordingly.
CCIND urged the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump’s administration, to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), compel the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu and all detained IPOB members unconditionally, lift the proscription of IPOB, investigate Nigerian politicians implicated in the Canadian court judgment and impose sanctions, including travel bans, international arrest warrants, and economic restrictions, and facilitate an internationally supervised referendum for Indigenous peoples in Nigeria to decide whether to remain in the country.
The group reiterated that Kanu is a “prisoner of conscience” whose case symbolizes Nigeria’s worsening human rights record. Analysts warn that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, alongside international legal rulings against Nigeria, could further strain the country’s diplomatic relations, particularly as diaspora groups step up lobbying efforts in North America and Europe.
