A member of the United States House of Representatives, Congressman John James, has urged the Nigerian government to immediately release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, or grant him a fresh trial that complies with Nigeria’s Constitution and international legal standards.
James made the call while speaking on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as he sought support for his resolution, H. Res. 1321, which addresses Kanu’s detention and broader concerns over the treatment of Christians in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the congressman alleged that Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to adequately tackle violent attacks by extremist groups.
“Nigeria is the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian today. 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. Extremist groups like Boko Haram are allowed to operate without any meaningful response from authorities,” James said.
The U.S. lawmaker argued that Kanu’s conviction was unjust, describing his trial as politically motivated.
“A courageous leader named Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted in a farce show trial for speaking out about what’s happening. He’s currently serving a life sentence in prison, convicted on false terrorism charges,” he stated.
Appealing to fellow lawmakers, James urged them to back H. Res. 1321, which calls on the Nigerian government to either retry Kanu in accordance with constitutional and international legal standards or release him outright.
“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,” he said.
The congressman also linked continued U.S. financial assistance to Nigeria with concerns over religious persecution, insisting that American support should not continue without accountability.
“America gives billions to Nigeria. We will not continue to fund a Christian genocide.
“We have the moral obligation to stand up so our Christian brothers and sisters can worship the Lord our God in peace. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield,” James added.
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