Nnamdi Kanu writes Trump, alleges genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East

Nnamdi Kanu writes Trump, alleges genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written to U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging a “hidden genocide” against Judeo-Christians in Nigeria’s South-East and neighbouring regions.

Kanu, who is expected to appear before the Federal High Court, Abuja, today, claimed in the letter that his ongoing terrorism-related trial is politically motivated, urging the United States to support a U.N.-supervised referendum on self-determination for the people of the South-East.

In the letter, which he personally signed, the IPOB leader described himself as a “Prisoner of Conscience” and a “four-time survivor of state assassination attempts,” alleging that he was forcibly abducted from Kenya in June 2021 in an extraordinary rendition operation that violated both Kenyan and international laws.

“Christians in Nigeria face an existential threat,” Kanu wrote. “This genocide is not confined to the North — it has metastasized into the Igbo heartland, where Judeo-Christians are being systematically exterminated under the guise of counter-terrorism.”

He alleged that militant groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militias, which former U.S. President Trump has publicly condemned, operate “with state complicity” in parts of the South-East, as well as in Igbo-speaking areas of Benue, Kogi, and Delta States.

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“Here, the Nigerian military itself is the primary perpetrator, shielded by a false narrative that blames victims,” Kanu claimed.

Citing the military’s Operation Python Dance as an example, Kanu accused the Nigerian Army of committing mass atrocities against Christians and blamed former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.) for orchestrating such operations. He alleged that Buratai’s subsequent appointment as an ambassador had shielded him from international prosecution.

“This is state-sponsored impunity on a genocidal scale,” he insisted.

Kanu also referenced U.S. President Trump’s October 31, 2025 statement, in which Trump reportedly said that the United States was “prepared to act militarily and cut aid if Nigeria fails to protect its Christian population.”

“Your bold declaration has ignited hope in the hearts of millions who have been abandoned by the world,” Kanu wrote.

He reminded the U.S. leader that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had discharged and acquitted him on October 13, 2022, after ruling that his abduction and rendition were illegal and unconstitutional.

The IPOB leader maintained that he remains detained in solitary confinement in Abuja without a valid charge, claiming his only offence is “defending my people’s right to life, faith, and self-determination under international law.”

The development comes amid heightened interest in Kanu’s legal battle and renewed calls from both local and international rights groups for his unconditional release, in line with previous court rulings.

Nnamdi Kanu writes Trump, alleges genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East