Igbo diaspora organizations have submitted a petition to former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging the application of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10102(c)) and Executive Order 13818 in support of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.

The petition, dated August 28, 2025, and filed through Kanu’s international lawyer, Bruce Fein, cites several judicial rulings—including decisions from Nigerian and Kenyan courts, as well as a 2022 opinion from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention—that call for Kanu’s unconditional release.

The petitioners argue that Kanu’s prolonged detention, despite multiple legal rulings in his favor, raises serious human rights concerns. They emphasize that international laws guarantee fundamental rights such as fair trial, freedom of association, and peaceful self-determination.

Since 2015, Kanu has endured numerous challenges, including the proscription of IPOB and his controversial 2021 extradition from Kenya to Nigeria—events that have attracted significant international scrutiny.

The groups appealed to the U.S. government to consider their petition seriously, pointing to previous occasions when America has intervened in foreign human rights violations.

Highlighting the lasting impact of the Biafran War, the petitioners stressed that calls for self-determination continue due to unresolved grievances and expressed hope that international involvement could ensure justice and fairness in Kanu’s case.