The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) have issued a strongly worded open letter to the Nigerian government, urging President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The group, made up of military veterans of Igbo heritage living in the United States, described Kanu’s continued detention as unlawful and a violation of international human rights.
In their letter, signed by AVID President Chief Dr. Sylvester Onyia and Secretary Dr. Godson Obiagwu, the veterans cited multiple court rulings, including decisions by Nigerian courts and the United Nations, which they argue invalidate Kanu’s detention.
They emphasized that the Nigerian government has no legal basis to continue holding Kanu and called on President Tinubu to act immediately in ensuring his release.
The letter referenced several judicial decisions in favor of Kanu, starting with an October 26, 2022, judgment by the Federal High Court of Nigeria. The court declared that Kanu’s extradition from Kenya—described as an “extraordinary rendition”—was illegal and violated his fundamental human rights. The ruling further stated that his continued detention in Abuja was unconstitutional and amounted to a violation of his dignity and right to life under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court of Nigeria also weighed in on the case. Despite remitting Kanu’s case back to the Federal High Court for trial, the court acknowledged that his initial detention was unlawful. It confirmed that he had been on bail when his home in Nigeria was invaded by heavily armed security forces, causing him to flee for safety. AVID noted that this attack, which forced Kanu into exile, was used as a false pretense to revoke his bail, issue an arrest warrant, and seize the bail bonds of his sureties.
“The government knew that their illegal actions made it impossible for Mr. Kanu to be in court for trial,” the letter stated. “Yet, they proceeded to revoke his bail and claim he had jumped bail when, in fact, he was fleeing for his life.”
Beyond Nigerian court decisions, AVID also cited a ruling by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in July 2022, which called on the Nigerian government to immediately release Kanu.
The UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that his extradition from Kenya was unlawful and that Nigeria was obligated under international law to compensate him.