BREAKING: Eastern Nigerian Christians ‘Facing Genocide,’ Nnamdi Kanu writes Trump from DSS custody

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Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has written to the U.S. President Donald Trump, urging intervention over what he described as a systematic campaign of violence against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East.

In the letter, dated November 6, 2025, Kanu emphasized that the threat to Christians extends beyond northern Nigeria and is prevalent in Igbo-speaking areas, where he alleges the Nigerian military operates with state backing.

He highlighted his own detention, describing it as a violation of Nigerian and international law following his abduction from Kenya in June 2021, and noting that a 2022 Court of Appeal ruling ordered his immediate release, a directive the government has ignored.

Kanu documented numerous alleged massacres, including:

• Nkpor Biafra Heroes Day (30 May 2016): Amnesty International and UN reports claim over 150 worshippers were killed during a church gathering.
• National High School Aba (9 February 2016): Security forces allegedly killed 35 children and students while praying.
• Operation Python Dance II (12–14 September 2017): Over 150 civilians killed in a raid on Kanu’s home in Afaraukwu.
• Obigbo Massacre (October 2020): At least 13 civilians, including children, were reportedly killed.
• Port Harcourt Trump Solidarity Rally (20 January 2017): Hundreds of Judeo-Christian supporters allegedly shot during a rally celebrating Trump’s inauguration.

Kanu accused the Nigerian government of weaponizing insecurity to demonize IPOB and alleged that over 2,000 Igbo youths have been killed in operations falsely labeled as counter-terrorism. He also criticized the designation of IPOB as a terrorist organization despite no evidence of violence.

In his appeal, Kanu called on Trump to:

1. Launch a U.S.-led independent inquiry into state-sponsored massacres, with access to military logs, mass graves, and survivor testimonies.

2. Convene emergency Congressional hearings on the Christian genocide in Eastern Nigeria, referencing the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment and UN reports.

3. Impose targeted Magnitsky Act sanctions on key military and security officials, including Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai and current DSS Director-General Yusuf Bichi.

4. Support an internationally supervised referendum on Igbo self-determination, citing Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Kanu emphasized that IPOB remains a peaceful movement rooted in Judeo-Christian principles and argued that international intervention is necessary to prevent further loss of life and restore justice.

Extracted copies of letter below;