In a letter dated Nov. 6, delivered through his lawyer to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Kanu urged Trump to follow up on his previous remarks that the U.S. could act militarily and suspend aid if Nigeria failed to protect its Christian population.
“You have seen the truth: Christians in Nigeria face an existential threat,” Kanu wrote, claiming the Igbo heartland was enduring religious and ethnic persecution. He requested that a U.S.-led inquiry be granted access to mass graves, military records, and survivor testimonies.
Kanu’s organization, founded in 2012, seeks to establish an independent Biafran state for the Igbo ethnic group. The Nigerian government, however, has banned IPOB, classifying it as a terrorist organization, and Kanu is currently facing charges of treason, illegal arms possession, and unlawful importation of broadcast equipment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Despite his detention, IPOB continues to enforce a weekly sit-at-home protest every Monday, which has disrupted economic activities across the southeast.
The Nigerian government has consistently denied accusations of Christian-targeted violence, asserting that the country’s insecurity stems from terrorism, armed banditry, and ethnic militancy — not religious persecution.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Nigeria recorded 1,923 attacks on civilian targets in 2025, with 50 incidents explicitly linked to Christian identity. The organization noted that while insurgents often label assaults as “anti-Christian”, the violence typically affects all communities indiscriminately.