Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has written to former United States President Donald Trump, alleging that the ongoing killings of Christians in Nigeria have spread to the Southeast.
In the open letter, Kanu accused the Federal Government of complicity in what he described as a “Judeo-Christian genocide,” adding that Igbo communities are now being targeted under the guise of counter-terrorism.
He commended Trump for his recent warning to Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians, saying the statement rekindled hope among victims of religious attacks.
According to Kanu, “Your bold declaration on October 31, 2025—that the United States is prepared to act militarily and cut aid if Nigeria fails to protect its Christian population—has ignited hope in the hearts of millions who have been abandoned by the world. Christians in Nigeria face an existential threat.”
Kanu, who identified himself as a “practicing Jew and a believer in the Judeo-Christian heritage,” recounted his alleged ordeals since 2015, including what he described as four assassination attempts and his “illegal rendition” from Kenya in 2021.
He wrote: “I was forcibly abducted from Kenya in an extraordinary rendition operation—an act that violated Kenyan and international law, as condemned by a Kenyan High Court ruling. Despite this ruling, I was illegally transported to Nigeria and thrown into solitary detention in Abuja, without a valid subsisting charge.”
The IPOB leader alleged that the same extremist groups responsible for attacks in the North — Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militias — now operate in the Southeast “with state complicity.”
He accused the Nigerian military of carrying out operations that have claimed the lives of over 2,000 Igbo youths between 2021 and 2025, citing data from Intersociety.
Kanu further claimed that the government has weaponized insecurity in the region to criminalize IPOB, which he described as a “peaceful and non-violent civil rights movement.”
“Since my illegal rendition, Nigeria has declared IPOB a terrorist organization despite zero evidence of violence, orchestrated unknown gunmen attacks using state-backed militias, and blamed IPOB.
This is Rwanda’s playbook—create chaos, blame the victim, justify extermination,” he added.