The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), in collaboration with Rising Sun Charities Organization and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on a number of judges over their alleged roles in the detention and prosecution of Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a petition signed on their behalf by Barr Bruce Fein, Law Offices of Bruce Fein, New Jersey, U.S, and addressed to the president on Friday, a copy of which was made available to THE WHISTLER, the groups accused the Nigerian judiciary of “gross violations of human rights” and complicity in what they described as the unlawful persecution of Kanu, who has been in detention since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021.
The petition specifically listed Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba and former Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, as those who “enabled arbitrary detention, extraordinary rendition, denial of fair trial rights, and suppression of free speech.”
None of the judges could be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.
But AVID, which has been undertaking a serious campaign to free Nnamdi Kanu, writes, “Judges enjoy no immunity for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
AVID said in the petition, “Just as Nazi judges were prosecuted for sham trials and Russian judges have faced sanctions for arbitrary detention, Nigerian judges who endorse persecution must also be held accountable.”
The organizations recalled that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had, in July 2022, declared Kanu’s detention unlawful, finding that it violated 16 international human rights covenants and ordering his immediate release and reparations.
“For over three years, Nigeria has openly defied the United Nations ruling, keeping Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in solitary confinement without trial. “This is a direct affront to international law and a stain on Nigeria’s judiciary,” the petition reads.
The petition also cited several legal decisions in Kanu’s favour, including a ₦500 million award by the Federal High Court in Umuahia in 2022, and a June 2025 ruling by the Nairobi High Court which declared his extraordinary rendition illegal and awarded KES 10 million in damages.
Despite these rulings, the Nigerian courts, according to the petitioners, have continued to justify his detention.
They further criticized the 2017 proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization, calling it “a politically motivated move” endorsed through an illegal ex parte proceeding.
“No country in the world—including the United States—recognizes IPOB as a terrorist group. Yet Nigerian courts cling to that label as justification for persecuting peaceful activists.”
The petitioners insisted that sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act are necessary to deter further abuses.
“Silence in the face of injustice emboldens dictators,” the petition concluded.
“By sanctioning these officials, Tinubu will be sending a clear message that human rights violations carry consequences, no matter where they occur.”
The organizations reiterated that their call is not merely about Kanu, but about broader accountability and the protection of human rights in Nigeria.
“This is about ensuring no judge, no official, and no government can trample on fundamental freedoms without repercussions,” the group said in the petition.
