US lawmaker seeks Nnamdi Kanu’s release
James, who represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, urged the Nigerian government to free Kanu and respect his fundamental rights. He described Kanu’s continued detention as a violation of international human rights norms and cited previous United Nations opinions on the case. “The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a clear example. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for his unconditional release, yet he remains in solitary confinement,” the lawmaker said during his remarks on Capitol Hill. He also accused the Nigerian authorities of enabling the “slaughter of innocent Nigerians” and called on Washington to take a firmer stand on abuses. Kanu, leader of IPOB, has been held in Nigeria on terrorism-related and secessionist charges, despite repeated legal and political appeals for his release. In November 2025, 44 federal lawmakers in Nigeria wrote President Bola Tinubu, asking him to […]