The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has petitioned 21 foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the European Union, requesting urgent intervention for the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a letter dated November 12, 2025, titled “SOS – Urgent Global Humanitarian Intervention to end the unlawful detention and torture of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” IPOB called on the international community to act against what it described as violations of court orders and international human rights laws.
The letter, addressed to embassies and high commissions in Abuja from countries including France, Germany, Canada, Russia, China, Israel, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia, as well as the International Criminal Court and African Union, emphasized that Kanu’s detention is unlawful and inhumane.
IPOB alleged that Kanu was abducted in Kenya in June 2021 and extradited to Nigeria in violation of international law. The group claimed that, despite multiple court rulings and UN directives ordering Kanu’s release, he remains in solitary confinement under harsh conditions. The letter also raised concerns about the deterioration of Kanu’s health while in DSS custody.
The group urged foreign powers to:
- Enforce all local and international orders for Kanu’s immediate release.
- Investigate and sanction those involved in his alleged abduction and torture.
- Protect peaceful IPOB members from harassment, arbitrary arrests, and persecution.
- Recognize the humanitarian urgency of the case and initiate emergency diplomatic dialogue.
IPOB also called on the international community to designate Nigeria as a state sponsor of terrorism, citing alleged extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, torture, and suppression of self-determination movements. The group argued that Kanu’s abduction from another sovereign nation constitutes international terrorism and warned that inaction could embolden similar violations globally.
IPOB concluded by urging immediate global intervention, describing the situation as a life-threatening emergency and a test of moral and international justice.
