The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), alongside Rising Sun Charities Organization and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, has petitioned former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to invoke Global Magnitsky sanctions on some Nigerian judges and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, over their alleged roles in the detention of Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In the petition addressed to Trump on Friday and made available to journalists in Abuja, the groups accused the Nigerian judiciary of “gross violations of human rights” and complicity in what they described as the unlawful persecution of Kanu, who has remained in detention since his controversial rendition from Kenya in June 2021.
The petition specifically named Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, former Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and ex-Attorney General Malami as those who allegedly “enabled arbitrary detention, extraordinary rendition, denial of fair trial rights, and suppression of free speech.”
AVID maintained in the petition: “Judges enjoy no immunity for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Just as Nazi judges were prosecuted for sham trials and Russian judges have faced sanctions for arbitrary detention, Nigerian judges who endorse persecution must also be held accountable.”
The groups recalled that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had, in July 2022, ruled that Kanu’s detention was unlawful, noting that it violated no fewer than 16 international human rights covenants, and ordered his immediate release and reparations.
“For over three years, Nigeria has openly defied the United Nations ruling, keeping Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in solitary confinement without trial.
“This is a direct affront to international law and a stain on Nigeria’s judiciary,” Chief Ugochukwu Nwosu, spokesperson for Rising Sun Charities, said.
The petition further referenced legal victories secured by Kanu, including a ₦500 million award by the Federal High Court in Umuahia in 2022, and a June 2025 judgment of the Nairobi High Court which declared his rendition illegal and awarded KES 10 million in damages.
Despite these rulings, the petitioners accused Nigerian courts of “persisting in justifying Kanu’s continued detention,” while also faulting the 2017 proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation.
According to the groups, “no country in the world—including the United States—recognizes IPOB as a terrorist group. Yet Nigerian courts cling to that label as justification for persecuting peaceful activists.”
The petition detailed specific allegations against the judges. Justice Nyako was accused of endorsing arbitrary detention and denying Kanu access to counsel and medical care, while Justice Tsammani was accused of affirming arbitrary detention at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Barka was faulted for affirming the ex parte proscription of IPOB, while Justice Garba was accused of “upholding arbitrary detention to enable government repression.”
The petition also accused former CJN Ariwoola of endorsing “Kanu’s kidnapping, torture, and extraordinary rendition,” while Malami was said to have “orchestrated” the rendition and detention.
AVID and its allies insisted that sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act were necessary to check further abuses.
“Silence in the face of injustice emboldens dictators. By sanctioning these officials, the United States will be sending a clear message that human rights violations carry consequences, no matter where they occur,” the petition stressed.
They added that their demand was not solely about Kanu but about broader accountability in Nigeria.
“This is about ensuring no judge, no official, and no government can trample on fundamental freedoms without repercussions. The world must not look away,” the groups stated.
