A coalition of American-based advocacy groups has called on the United States government to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and place it back on the US religious freedom watchlist, citing escalating violence, ethnic cleansing, and systemic human rights abuses across the country.
The call was made by the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) and Rising Sun & Ambassadors for Self Defense during a recent advocacy visit to Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., where the delegation met with US lawmakers. The group also lobbied for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
During a press briefing, Dr. Sylvester Onyia, President of AVID, condemned the “relentless slaughter” of innocent Nigerians, particularly Christians, by armed herdsmen and bandits, stating that the Nigerian government has “abandoned its constitutional responsibility to protect its citizens.”
“Nigeria is witnessing a wave of barbarism,” Onyia said. “These are not random acts of violence. They are calculated ethnic and religious cleansing operations, and the world cannot afford to remain silent.”
He reminded reporters of the January 20, 2017 massacre of 27 unarmed pro-Biafra supporters in Port Harcourt, who were celebrating President Donald Trump’s inauguration. “They were cheering democracy. Nigerian security operatives shot them down like animals. No one has been held accountable,” he added.
The delegation expressed grave concerns that the unchecked advance of jihadist groups and criminal herdsmen into Nigeria’s South East could destabilize the region, compromise access to crude oil reserves, and eventually threaten Western interests.
Rev. Father Augustine Odinmegwa, a member of the delegation, accused the British government of complicity in Kanu’s continued incarceration, questioning its silence despite Kanu’s status as a British citizen.
“Why is Britain silent while its citizen is tortured and kept in solitary confinement? The powers holding Nigeria down are resistant to change, and the world must intervene,” he said.
Odinmegwa also criticized the recent statement by DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, who advised Nigerians to “defend themselves” against armed groups. “That statement alone proves Nigeria is becoming, or already is, a failed state,” he said. “It’s the government admitting it can no longer protect its people.”
The delegation urged Southeast governors and Igbos in the diaspora to mobilize resources to form and equip local vigilante groups. “The time to pretend all is well is over,” Onyia stressed. “The Nigerian state has failed. We must act.”
Bruce Fein, Kanu’s international counsel, reiterated that Kanu is a victim of a gross injustice, having been “abducted in Kenya, tortured, and illegally renditioned to Nigeria” in 2021. He accused Nigeria of violating at least 16 international human rights covenants.
“The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has demanded Kanu’s immediate release,” Fein said. “Nigeria has flouted international law for three years. The US must consider sanctions, an arms embargo, and the suspension of Nigeria from the UN General Assembly, similar to what was done during apartheid in South Africa.”
Another member of the delegation, John Gregg, an American who lived in Southern Nigeria for two decades, warned that failure to act could spark a refugee crisis. “If the US doesn’t intervene, the region will implode. Over 90% of the victims are Christians. Already, over 40,000 people have been killed, displaced, or violated in the last nine years.”
Dr. Evans Nwankwo emphasized the urgency of designating Nigeria a CPC again, pointing to continued abductions, like that of Leah Sharibu, and the mob killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto as grim indicators of Nigeria’s worsening human rights situation.
He commended the US Congress for giving the delegation audience, noting that both the Senate and House of Representatives are reviewing Nigeria’s CPC status.
READ ALSO: Claim Check: Does Drinking a Cold Drink After Eating Mangoes Cause Death? Verdict: False
Pope Francis’ Final Encounter: A Last Blessing, a Private Meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance
“Nnamdi Kanu is not the problem,” Nwankwo stated. “He offered solutions—jobs, fairness, justice. He predicted the chaos we’re seeing today. Yet, instead of engaging him, the Nigerian state continues to detain him unjustly.”
Nwankwo also revealed that an estimated 4–5 million Nigerians have been displaced by the violence, now living in IDP camps across the country. He called on the US to “be the light that will dispel the darkness engulfing Nigeria.”
