The Whistler
The Ndi-Igbo Worldwide Union (NIWU) has listed several court rulings and international decisions which it said support its demand for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, insisting that the rule of law must prevail in Nigeria.
The group made this known in a statement announcing its formal emergence as a global socio-cultural, advocacy and humanitarian organisation committed to promoting and defending the interests of the Igbo people worldwide
The union, in a statement on Wednesday signed by the Chairman, Ben Nwankwo, and the Secretary, Hon. Chief Charles Edemuzo noted it was formed to respond to what it described as persistent injustice, marginalisation and institutional neglect affecting Ndi-Igbo, adding that it would now assume responsibility for speaking and acting on issues concerning Igbo people in the absence of effective intervention by established structures.
The group stated that the Igbo nation, with over 50 million people in Nigeria and more than 40 million in the diaspora, has suffered systemic discrimination dating back to the colonial period and worsening after the 1967–1970 Nigeria–Biafra civil war.
It recalled that although the war ended with the declaration of “no victor, no vanquished” and the policy of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation, those commitments were never fully implemented.
According to NIWU, the failure of those post-war policies entrenched marginalisation and contributed to renewed agitation for self-determination among many Igbos.
The union cited the absence of major federal infrastructure in the South-East, including railways, seaports, cargo aviation services and gas pipelines, as evidence of continued exclusion from national development.
The organisation also raised concerns over insecurity and religious violence, alleging that Christians, particularly Igbos and other minority groups, have been disproportionately affected by attacks across the country.
It referenced figures it said were confirmed by United States lawmakers, claiming that over 52,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, thousands of churches destroyed, and more than five million people displaced into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. It further claimed that more than 7,000 Christians were killed in 2025 alone as of June.
The union alleged that Nigerian prisons are overcrowded with Igbo youths detained on what it described as trumped-up charges linked to IPOB or the Eastern Security Network (ESN), noting that many of them are being held without trial. It argued that the right to self-determination is protected under Nigerian law and international legal instruments such as the United Nations Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
NIWU described Nigeria as a state where injustice has become institutionalised, pointing to the continued detention and prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu as a key example. It argued that Kanu’s trial lacked jurisdiction and was founded on what it termed “law unknown to man.”
The group strongly condemned what it described as the kidnapping, torture and extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria, describing the act as a serious violation of international law and an abuse of state power. It said the action undermined Kenya’s sovereignty and amounted to an extraterritorial crime.
Rejecting Kanu’s conviction, the union insisted that its position was based solely on justice and the rule of law. To support its claims, it listed several court and institutional decisions it said were in Kanu’s favour, including a January 19, 2022 ruling of the Federal High Court in Abia State which held the Nigerian government liable for the 2017 invasion of his home; an October 26, 2022 Federal High Court ruling declaring his extraordinary rendition from Kenya unlawful; a March 18, 2018 African Union resolution relating to IPOB activities; an October 26, 2023 judgment of the Enugu State High Court declaring the proscription of IPOB unconstitutional; a July 22, 2022 opinion of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and a Supreme Court ruling delivered in December 2023.
The union called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to rise to its responsibility of defending constitutionalism and the rule of law, urging the body to intervene in the case of Nnamdi Kanu.
“As a professional body, the NBA shares in the responsibility to guarantee and protect the rights of every citizen under the law,” the statement said.
The group also cautioned Igbo political elites against exploiting the situation for personal or political gain, warning that history and justice would ultimately judge their actions.
Addressing Igbo youths, NIWU said they had not failed their people, but rather had been failed by some elders and political leaders who traded their future for personal advantage. It urged young people to continue to pursue their rights through lawful and peaceful means, guided by justice, fairness and dignity.
The union expressed optimism that the coming year would mark a turning point for the Igbo people, enabling them to fully realise their potential and benefit from Nigeria’s democracy. It called on all stakeholders to work toward making Ala-Igbo prosperous, strong and united once again.
The union called for “an end to ethnic and religious violence across the country and renewed its demand for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu.”
