A Nigerian political movement backing the embattled leader Nnamdi Kanu petitioned the United States Government to intervene.
Kanu, who leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement in the West African nation, was deported from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in July 2021 and remains under the country's detention.
In a statement dated Sunday, November 27, IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, questioned the Joe Biden-led administration over its year-long silence over the atrocities meted on its leader.
The organisation argued that in history, USA played a major role in liberating other nations by challenging European colonial groups after the World Wars 1 and 2.
"The contraption known as Nigeria is one of such countries that gained their false independence during that Era.
"Dear USA, we the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) call upon you today to complete the work you started then,” read a statement from IPOB.
The movement further argued that it represents millions of people standing up against Nigerian regime for liberation.
"Nigeria is polluting our land through oil exploration and extraction and when we ask them to clean it up, they kill our people, raze down our communities, bribe our leaders and few politicians place other heavy burdens of oppression on us in order to shut us up.
“As if all the oppression is not enough, the Fulani terrorist herdsmen have entered Nigeria with a jihad agenda that has been supported by the Nigerian Fulani politicians. This Fulanised Nigeria government has extraordinarily renditioned the leader of The Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria," added the statement.
In an earlier suit filed against the Nigerian Government, Kanu alleged that he was held incommunicado and that the treatment was so cruel but was eased after the people who had detained him discovered that he was not a terrorist.
He added that he was initially arrested on suspicion of being a Nigerian terrorist connected to Al Shabaab.
“The people that abducted him said that they were told by their sponsors that Kanu was a Nigerian terrorist linked to the Islamic terrorists in Kenya, presumably Al-Shabab.
“But after several days when they discovered his true identity, they tended to treat him less badly. Despite that, they told him they felt committed to hand him over to those that hired them,” the lawyer stated at the time.
The incident threatened to affect diplomatic relations between the two countries but Kenya moved swiftly to clear its name.
