US lawmaker seeks Nnamdi Kanu’s release

A United States Congressman, John James, has renewed calls for the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

James made the appeal on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday, tying the IPOB leader’s continued detention to what he described as a pattern of religious persecution against Christians in Nigeria.

The Michigan lawmaker was referencing H.Res. 1321, a resolution he introduced on May 22, 2026, which calls on the Nigerian government to ensure that all legal proceedings involving Kanu comply with the country’s constitutional obligations and international human rights commitments.

The resolution remains before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Speaking at the podium, James described Nigeria as the deadliest place on Earth to be a Christian, alleging that tens of thousands of Christians have been killed since 2019.

He said the killings formed part of a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence by Islamist jihadists that the Nigerian government has ignored or enabled.

“Since 2019, tens of thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been slaughtered as part of a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence by Islamist jihadis ignored or enabled by the Nigerian government,” James said.

He added that extremist groups, including Boko Haram, operate without any meaningful response from Nigerian authorities.

Turning to Kanu’s case, James described the IPOB leader as a courageous figure convicted in what he called a farce show trial for speaking out against the killings.

He said Kanu, who is serving a life sentence on terrorism charges he characterised as false, deserves either a fresh, constitutionally compliant trial or unconditional freedom.

“I implore my colleagues to support my bill, H.Res. 1321, calling on the Nigerian government to conduct another trial in accordance with its own constitution based on evidence with access to legal counsel, medical care, and international law pertaining to humane conditions of detention, or better yet, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately and unconditionally,” James said.

He warned that continued US financial support for Nigeria could not go unchallenged.

“America gives billions to Nigeria. We will not continue to fund a Christian genocide,” James said, adding that the US had a moral obligation to ensure Christians in Nigeria could worship freely.

Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, by a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho, following his conviction on terrorism charges.

He is currently held at the Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, after his 2021 arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.

The resolution James is championing cites a July 20, 2022, opinion by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found Kanu’s detention violated international human rights obligations and recommended his release, alongside appropriate remedies.