The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent(AVID) have threatened to petition the incoming U.S government of Donald Trump to impose sanctions on the five governors of Nigeria’s South East zone.
AVID, which has been campaigning for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, issued the threat following the alleged complicity of the South East Governors in the continued detention of Kanu.
In a statement dated January 18, 2025, signed by its President, Dr. Sylvester Onyia, and Secretary, Dr Godson Obiagwu, the U.S based group said that it shared the same opinion expressed by Kanu’s family and a group of clerics under the aegis of Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission.
Both Kanu’s family and the church ministers have accused the South East governors of aiding and abetting the IPOB leader’s indefinite detention by foot dragging in their earlier promise to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to find political solution to the issue.
They hold the view that “the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a betrayal of Igbo nation” on the part of the five governors, having refused to play the ball into Tinubu’s court due to their ulterior motives.
“As the USA Military Veterans of Igbo Descent, we must make you aware that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu mirrors the sort of grave human rights violations sanctionable by the USA government under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act,” the group said.
According to AVID, the Act, which was enacted to punish violators of internationally recognized human rights, could be applied to the five chief executives of the states in South East zone.
“When the time comes for it, your inaction in seeking for the release of Nnamdi Kanu may make you complicit and thus subject to the full consequences of this Act should you come in contact with the United States which you do very often,” AVID warned.
The Act empowers the President of the United States to impose sanctions against foreign officials complicit in “gross violations of international recognized human rights,” against persons for exercising internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression or association, among other things.
The range of presidential sanctions that could be imposed in the affected Nigerian governors include a denial of visas, blocking transactions in all property in the United States, and public stigma.
The military veterans also voiced their concurrence with Prince Emmanuel Kanu’s position on the implementation of the agreement between the family of Nnamdi Kanu and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through his son Seyi.
Prince Emmanuel had claimed that there was an agreement between the Kanu family and Tinubu to release the IPOB leader if the separatist group did not disrupt the 2023 general election.
AVID vowed that “we cannot stand by and let Southeast governors devastate Igboland by selfishness and a lack of motivation to advance our region”.
The group heaped blames on the South East Governors Forum (SEGF) for the unending travails of the Biafra sovereign state activist.
It said: “As a group, we attempted multiple times to persuade these governors that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was justified, on his stands on security and social economic development of southeast.
“Keep in mind that you governors proscribed IPOB, while previous President Buhari labeled this wonderful organization a terrorist movement due to his enmity with the Igbo people”.
Based on the actions and inactions of the South East Governors in the past and at present, AVID said that “we can’t really blame Mr. President for the insecurity in the Southeast region.
The group stated information at its disposal indicates that “the governors are supposed to meet with the President and unanimously advocate for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s release, which has yet to occur”.
“We also know that Mr. President has asked the southeast governors to write a formal letter seeking the release of their son, which they all find difficult to do.
“We are also aware that all meaningful initiatives, particularly by religious leaders and national and state players, have been
frustrated by the same governors,” AVID said.
The griup lamented that “even after the Nigerian appeal court pronounced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu not guilty, the(South East) governors remained silent, confirming their complicity”.