The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), an association of retired and serving US military personnel of Igbo origin, has accused the United Kingdom of enabling the persecution of its citizen, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Nigerian government. Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and a British citizen, is currently on trial in Nigeria under charges stemming from the now-repealed Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013.
AVID President Dr. Sylvester Onyia condemned the UK government’s silence over what it described as glaring injustice, asserting that the UK’s failure to intervene or acknowledge the unlawfulness of Kanu’s trial amounts to “active complicity.” The group cited British legal principles dating back centuries, emphasizing that a person cannot be prosecuted under a non-existent law, and highlighted the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s striking out of key charges against Kanu.
In a statement titled “A dead charge cannot kill a living man”, AVID warned that history would remember the UK’s role in abandoning its citizen to persecution. The statement criticized the UK government’s diplomatic inaction as an endorsement of Nigeria’s prosecution of Kanu on “a dead, repealed, and judicially buried charge.”
AVID further stressed that no Nigerian court in 2025 has jurisdiction to try Kanu on counts related to repealed laws or non-existent offences. The association called on the court to strike out all charges and order Kanu’s immediate release ahead of the scheduled November 20 judgment by Justice James Omotosho.
This case underscores complex legal and diplomatic tensions involving citizenship rights, the rule of law, and political persecution. AVID’s public appeal highlights concerns about upholding constitutional protections and the responsibilities of the UK toward its citizens abroad. The situation continues to draw intense scrutiny from human rights advocates and international observers.