The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has petitioned several foreign missions and international organizations in Nigeria, appealing for urgent intervention to secure his release and to compel the Nigerian government to end his trial and uphold the rule of law.
In a petition dated August 22, 2025, and signed by himself from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, Kanu described himself as a “prisoner of conscience” and accused the Nigerian judiciary of enabling his prolonged “unlawful detention” through what he called unconstitutional and politically motivated rulings.
The IPOB leader addressed the petition to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, the European Union, the Netherlands, Sweden, Amnesty International, the Red Cross, the African Union, ECOWAS Court, Kenya, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Brazil, Israel, Finland, and Austria.
Kanu, a dual Nigerian-British citizen, said his continued detention since June 2021 violates both domestic and international legal standards.
He urged the international community to pressure Nigeria to respect constitutional supremacy, judicial precedents, and international human rights treaties.
“The Supreme Court’s lawlessness, compounded by the Court of Appeal’s illegal stay of execution, undermines the rule of law, and I seek your assistance to restore justice,” Kanu stated.
Kanu recalled that on October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him, ruling that his 2021 extraordinary rendition from Kenya had violated Nigeria’s Extradition Act and his constitutional right to a fair trial.
On October 28, 2022, the Nigerian government obtained a stay of execution of the ruling, a decision Kanu described as “alien to criminal jurisprudence,” citing previous Nigerian judgments (Ejiofor v. FRN, Abacha v. State) which held that liberty cannot be suspended after acquittal.
He noted that from October 2022 to December 2023, he remained in detention without fresh charges for 14 months, a situation he said breached the Nigerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and remitted the case for retrial, even while acknowledging the illegality of his rendition.
Kanu argued that the ruling violated the principle of double jeopardy and exceeded the court’s jurisdiction.
“The Supreme Court assumed jurisdiction it did not have, undermining constitutional supremacy,” he said.
Kanu accused both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal of undermining constitutional supremacy and engaging in “political activism” in his case.
He described Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani’s decision to grant a stay of execution as “a barbaric assault on the rule of law.”
He also referenced reports by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which he said documented systemic judicial bias against IPOB members.
The IPOB leader said, “This decision is a barbaric and illegal act, wholly unknown to criminal law jurisprudence anywhere in the world.
“It constitutes constitutional criminality of the highest order, exhibiting a shocking lack of fidelity to the Nigerian Constitution.
“Nigerian jurisprudence unequivocally prohibits stays of execution in criminal matters, particularly where liberty is at stake.”
Kanu urged the United Kingdom to intervene, arguing that his detention breaches the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UK’s obligations to protect its citizens.
He further called for Magnitsky-style sanctions against Nigerian officials “complicit in judicial lawlessness.”
Kanu, in the petition, asked the foreign missions to “Demand that Nigeria comply with Abacha v. State and Ejiofor v. FRN by enforcing the Court of Appeal’s discharge retroactively to October 13, 2022, nullifying my arbitrary detention, declaring the October 28, 2022 stay illegal, and securing my immediate release.
“Condemn judicial lawlessness by declaring the Supreme Court’s reversal and the Court of Appeal’s stay violations of stare decisis, constitutional supremacy, and ICCPR/ECHR protections,” he said.
“Hold the UK Accountable by invoking R (Evans) to compel emergency diplomatic action, including Magnitsky sanctions against complicit Nigerian officials.
“Escalate his case internationally by supporting referral to the ECOWAS Court, African Court, or ICC if Nigeria refuses compliance.”
The IPOB leader stressed, “The Supreme Court’s December 15, 2023 reversal, compounded by the Court of Appeal’s illegal stay of execution on October 28, 2022, represents a systemic collapse of the rule of law in Nigeria.
“My 14-month arbitrary detention, enabled by UK inaction, exposes discriminatory neglect and judicial lawlessness.
“Your urgent intervention is critical to halt my persecution, uphold constitutional governance, and prevent my possible death in custody.”
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treasonable felony and granted bail in 2017.
He fled Nigeria after a military raid on his residence but was forcibly returned from Kenya in June 2021 under disputed circumstances.
His trial has since been marked by legal controversies, with critics accusing the Nigerian government of flouting judicial rulings to keep him in custody.
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