The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written a letter to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, appealing for urgent international intervention over what he described as “a hidden genocide” against Judeo-Christian communities in Nigeria’s South-East.
The four-page letter seen by PurpleWorld Media, dated November 6, 2025, was sent through Kanu’s legal counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, from the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja, where Kanu has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,500 days.
In the letter, Kanu praised President Trump’s recent declaration that the United States is “prepared to act militarily and cut aid if Nigeria fails to protect its Christian population.” He said the statement had restored hope to millions of Christians who feel abandoned by the world.
Kanu alleged that Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East, face an “existential threat,” claiming that thousands have been killed in what he called a government-backed campaign of extermination disguised as counter-terrorism.
Kanu recounted his forcible abduction from Kenya in June 2021, which he described as an “extraordinary rendition” that violated international law. He noted that despite a Court of Appeal ruling in October 2022 ordering his unconditional release, he remains detained in defiance of both Nigerian and international court judgments.
According to him, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had also declared his imprisonment “arbitrary, unlawful, and politically motivated.”
In his letter, Kanu listed several incidents he said prove systematic attacks on Christians in Eastern Nigeria. These include:
1. Nkpor Biafra Heroes Day Massacre (May 30, 2016) – Amnesty International reported that over 150 peaceful Christian worshippers were killed.
2. National High School Aba Massacre (February 9, 2016) – Amnesty International documented 22 killings, while 13 more bodies were later found in a mass grave.
3. Operation Python Dance II (September 12–14, 2017) – He claimed over 150 people were killed during a military raid.
4. Obigbo Massacre (October 2020) – Amnesty International said civilians, including women and children, were killed and buried in mass graves.
5. Port Harcourt (Igweocha) Trump Solidarity Rally (January 20, 2017) – He alleged that Christian supporters celebrating Trump’s inauguration were shot dead by soldiers.
Kanu accused Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, of being the “architect” of these crimes, alleging that he was later rewarded with a diplomatic post in Benin Republic to evade prosecution.
Kanu urged President Trump to take four key actions:
1. Launch a U.S.-led independent inquiry into the alleged massacres of Christians in Eastern Nigeria.
2. Convene emergency Congressional hearings on the “Igbo Christian genocide.”
3. Impose targeted sanctions under the U.S. Magnitsky Act on top Nigerian military officials allegedly involved.
4. Support an internationally supervised referendum on self-determination for the Igbo people as a peaceful solution.
Kanu closed the letter by reminding President Trump that “history will judge us by what we do when genocide knocks.” He said one tweet or one sanction from the United States could save millions of lives.
“I remain steadfast in peace, faith, and non-violence—even from a prison cell. We seek only justice, truth, and freedom,” Kanu wrote.
He signed the letter as “Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Prisoner of Conscience, DSS Custody, Abuja.”