UN, AU, and ECOWAS urged to demand Nigeria release Nnamdi Kanu from detention

DDM News

Calls for the release of detained Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have intensified on the international stage.

The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has asked global and regional institutions to intervene immediately.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that AVID issued a passionate appeal to the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS.

They urged these bodies to demand the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu from what they described as “illegal detention.”

The group also directed strong criticism at the United Kingdom, asking it to protect Kanu as a British citizen.

Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in detention for four years.

He was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to Nigeria under circumstances widely described as illegal rendition.

AVID maintains that the abduction violated international law and basic human rights.

In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Sylvester Onyia, AVID said the continued detention of Kanu is enabling “widespread atrocities” across Nigeria.

They linked his incarceration to rising ethnic violence and massacres in states like Benue and other indigenous regions.

According to Onyia, Kanu’s silencing has cleared the way for what he called a “genocide in slow motion.”

He argued that the Nigerian government’s refusal to obey court orders for Kanu’s release reveals a deeper, dangerous agenda.

The statement warned that this agenda is designed to crush indigenous resistance and promote Fulani expansionism under state cover.

Onyia accused the Nigerian government of emboldening armed militants by criminalizing peaceful self-determination movements.

The group stressed that Kanu repeatedly warned the world about looming violence cloaked as herdsmen attacks.

They claim his warnings were ignored, and instead, he was branded a terrorist while the real perpetrators roam free.

AVID decried the silence of international organizations, saying their inaction contributes to ongoing bloodshed.

The group stated: “The world must ask why a peaceful British citizen remains in detention while massacres go unchecked.”

They believe Kanu’s prolonged incarceration is a signal that the Nigerian government tolerates and protects acts of terror in indigenous regions.

AVID also called on international media to stop ignoring the crisis and begin holding the Nigerian state accountable.

They asked global human rights groups to raise their voices against what they described as “state-enabled ethnic cleansing.”

They urged democratic governments to reconsider their relations with Nigeria in light of growing human rights violations.

Observers note that Nnamdi Kanu’s case has long been a flashpoint for ethnic tensions in Nigeria’s southeast.

Since his arrest, protests have erupted in the region, and IPOB supporters have called for weekly sit-at-home demonstrations.

Despite multiple court rulings ordering his release, the Nigerian government has continued to keep Kanu in detention.

Legal experts and civil society organizations have condemned the prolonged incarceration as unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Meanwhile, the situation in Benue State continues to draw attention, with fresh killings reported in recent weeks.

Communities in the region accuse armed herdsmen of carrying out unprovoked attacks with little or no government response.

AVID sees these attacks as a symptom of a larger crisis fueled by impunity and silence from leadership.

They fear that without international pressure, both the violence and government repression will escalate further.

AVID concluded its statement by reaffirming support for Kanu’s cause and warning that “the blood of the innocent is on the hands of the silent.”

As international observers await a response from the UN, AU, and ECOWAS, pressure is mounting for urgent intervention.

AVID’s strong words signal a renewed wave of diaspora activism pushing global actors to take a stand.

The coming days will reveal whether world powers and regional blocs are ready to confront the realities behind Kanu’s continued detention.

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