A United States Congressman, John James, has called on the Nigerian government to immediately and unconditionally release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking on the floor of the US Congress on Thursday, James also described Nigeria as the deadliest country in the world for Christians.
The lawmaker urged the Nigerian government to conduct a fresh trial for Kanu in line with Nigeria’s Constitution, insisting that the process should be evidence-based and guarantee access to legal representation, medical care, and humane detention conditions under international law.
James alleged that thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2019 in what he described as a sustained campaign of religious violence by Islamist extremists.
He further claimed that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram have continued to operate without an effective response from the Nigerian authorities.
The congressman also alleged that Kanu was subjected to an unfair trial and is serving a life sentence on what he described as false terrorism charges because he spoke out about developments in Nigeria.
“I implore my colleagues to support my bill for the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu immediately and unconditionally,” James said.
He added that the United States should not continue providing billions of dollars in assistance to Nigeria while Christians are being killed, stressing that America has a moral duty to defend religious freedom.
