US-Based Pro-Biafra Activists Defend Nnamdi Kanu, Demand Referendum Rights

A coalition of United States-based pro-Biafra activists has defended the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, insisting that demanding a referendum on Biafra does not constitute a crime.

The activists also urged the Nigerian government to learn from ongoing self-determination debates in the United Kingdom, where Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have witnessed renewed calls for the right of their people to determine their political future.

Their position was contained in a joint statement issued by the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun and Ambassadors for Self-Determination. The statement was signed by Dr Sylvester Onyia, Mazi Evans Nwankwo and Rev. Dede Maxwell.

Titled “Nigeria Must Learn From the UK: Referendum Is a Democratic Right, Not a Crime — Our Stand on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement compared Nigeria’s treatment of the Biafra self-determination movement with political debates in the United Kingdom. The activists argued that demands for constitutional change and independence should be addressed through democratic processes rather than criminal prosecution.

They cited developments in the UK, including discussions among leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over independence referendums, as examples of how self-determination can be debated politically. They questioned why similar demands in Nigeria should attract criminal charges.

“If the United Kingdom can allow open debate and parliamentary votes on self-determination in 2026, by what twisted logic does Nigeria criminalise the same demand?” the coalition asked, calling for the inclusion of a referendum as a constitutional right.

The groups also expressed concern over Kanu’s health in detention, describing what they alleged was neglect of his medical condition as inhumane. They called for his medical evacuation and treatment, respect for his fundamental human rights and an end to his detention.

The activists further criticised the British government over what they described as its silence on Kanu’s case, particularly the delay in hearing his appeal against his conviction. They argued that Britain should intervene more actively, given Kanu’s British citizenship and the legal principles associated with the common-law system.

The coalition maintained that Kanu’s demand for a referendum was driven by his desire for justice, equity and genuine federalism in Nigeria, or the opportunity for the people of the South-East to determine their future. It called for his unconditional release, framing the demand as part of a broader campaign for self-determination and political rights.