A delegation of American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) and allied groups has called on the United States Government to re-classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to the ongoing killings, human rights abuses, and religious violence across the country.
The group made the demand during a recent visit to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., where they met with members of the U.S. Congress. Their mission also included lobbying for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in detention since 2021.
AVID President Dr. Sylvester Onyia expressed alarm over what he described as ethnic cleansing and religious violence in Nigeria, particularly by bandits and herdsmen. “The Nigerian government has failed to protect its citizens,” he said, referencing attacks mostly targeting Christians and indigenous communities.
He urged the U.S. to reconsider Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a status previously designated under President Donald Trump but reversed under President Joe Biden.
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Onyia also recalled the killing of 27 unarmed Biafra supporters in Port Harcourt in 2017 during Trump’s inauguration celebration. “Those victims were only celebrating democracy. Yet, they were gunned down by security forces,” he said, urging renewed U.S. attention.
The group highlighted the ongoing detention of Nnamdi Kanu, who was abducted in Kenya and forcefully returned to Nigeria in 2021 — a move they argue violates international law. Kanu’s international lawyer, Bruce Fein, called his detention a breach of 16 human rights treaties. Fein noted that the United Nations has already called for Kanu’s unconditional release and warned that the U.S. could impose sanctions, increase tariffs on Nigerian goods, or push for Nigeria’s suspension from the UN General Assembly.
Other delegation members, including Rev. Fr. Augustine Odinmegwa and Dr. Evans Nwankwo, voiced concerns over rising violence, internal displacement, and the alleged failure of Nigeria’s security agencies. They called on the U.S. to act urgently before the situation deteriorates further. “If nothing is done,” Odinmegwa warned, “the jihadists will overrun the South East and seize crude oil assets, eventually threatening U.S. and Western interests.”
The delegation also criticized Britain’s silence on Kanu’s detention, considering he is a British citizen, and urged South East governors and the Igbo diaspora to help establish community-based security systems.
John Gregg, an American who spent two decades in southern Nigeria, echoed these fears, warning that continued violence may lead to mass emigration of Nigerian Christians. “Over 40,000 people have been affected — either killed, displaced, or severely traumatized,” he said.
The delegation concluded by reaffirming their appeal to U.S. lawmakers to restore Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, emphasizing that justice, peace, and democracy are at stake.
