Igbo Diaspora Groups Petition Trump, Demand U.S. Sanctions Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention

Several pro-Igbo diaspora organizations, including the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun Charities Organization, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, have formally petitioned former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to impose sanctions on five Nigerian judges and a former Attorney General of the Federation for their alleged roles in the continued detention and prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The petition, dated August 28, 2025, was submitted by Bruce Fein, Kanu’s international legal counsel, and accuses the Nigerian officials of violating international human rights laws through abduction, extraordinary rendition, and ongoing unlawful detention of Kanu.

It calls on President Trump to activate the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10102) and Executive Order 13818, which allow the U.S. to sanction foreign individuals involved in gross human rights violations.

“Nigerian Justices and the former Attorney General deserve Global Magnitsky Sanctions for violating Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s internationally recognized human rights in defense of free speech and association; and fair trial, to peacefully promote the Biafran right to self-determination enshrined in international law,” the petition stated.

The groups accused the Nigerian judicial figures of complicity in arbitrary detention, denial of legal counsel, denial of medical access, and supporting the ex-parte proscription of IPOB without due process.

In their submission, the petitioners referenced historical precedents of U.S. actions against foreign judges for human rights violations. One such case cited was the “Judges’ Trial” (United States v. Josef Altstötter, et al.), where Nazi-era judges were held accountable by the U.S. for facilitating sham trials. They also mentioned the December 31, 2024, U.S. sanction of Russian Judge Olesya for arbitrarily detaining human rights advocate Alexei Gorniov, who opposed the war in Ukraine.

“Judges enjoy no immunity for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” the petition emphasized.

The groups further condemned the 2015 military invasion of Kanu’s hometown in Umuahia, during which dozens of IPOB members reportedly lost their lives. They insisted that Kanu has a legal right under international law to peacefully demand a referendum, and that prosecuting him for doing so violates his fundamental freedoms.

The petition concluded with a call for accountability, urging the United States to uphold its global stance on human rights and hold those responsible for Kanu’s continued ordeal accountable.