John James, a member of the US House of Representatives, has urged the Nigerian government to either free Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), or face potential reductions in US funding.

The Michigan senator urged other members to endorse H.Res. 1321, a resolution he presented calling for a new trial for Kanu in accordance with Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights norms, during a speech on the US House of Representatives floor.

According to James, Kanu’s prosecution was part of a larger trend of Christian persecution in Nigeria. He described Kanu as “a courageous figure” who was found guilty following what he described as a “farcical show trial” and asserted that terrorist organisations like Boko Haram had managed to operate without significant opposition from Nigerian authorities.

The lawmaker believes that the Nigerian government should either free Kanu without conditions or trial him in line with the law.

“Since 2019, tens of thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been slaughtered as part of a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence by Islamist jihadists ignored or enabled by the Nigerian government. America gives billions to Nigeria. We will not continue to fund a Christian genocide.”

He also cautioned that if Kanu is still detained, the US should reevaluate its financial support for Nigeria.

IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, responded to the situation by praising the intervention and characterising it as a significant help to the organization’s push for Kanu’s release.

Discussions on Kanu’s detention, Nigeria’s security situation, and the nation’s human rights record have been rekindled by the most recent comments.