John James: Nnamdi Kanu Case as Proof of Religious Persecution in Nigeria

U.S. Representative John James has publicly argued that Nnamdi Kanu’s case is a clear instance of religious persecution in Nigeria. During a hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, James linked Kanu’s prolonged detention and conviction to broader patterns of political and religious repression in Nigeria.

James, who formerly chaired the Africa Subcommittee and is now a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, made these remarks at a public hearing held to assess President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). The designation is reserved for nations that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.

At that hearing, which included senior U.S. State Department officials and prominent Nigerian religious leaders, James emphasized that the legal basis for Kanu’s detention had been eroded. He noted that in 2022, Nigeria’s Court of Appeal annulled the terrorism charges against Kanu and ordered his release. He further pointed out that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also called for Kanu’s immediate, unconditional freedom.

Despite those decisions, James argued, Kanu remains in solitary confinement, in deteriorating health, and was recently forced to represent himself in court. According to James, this signals a dangerous message: the rule of law is not being respected, and Christians — or at least Christian‑aligned political figures — are being disproportionately targeted. He asserted that “the law is optional and targeting Christians is fair game.”

James tied this to a deeper problem: religious persecution is being weaponized for political repression, weakening Nigeria’s institutions and undermining justice. He said that Kanu’s case is symbolic of a larger trend in which political dissent and Christian identity are conflated and criminalized.

On the same day as his remarks, Kanu was again convicted — this time on all remaining charges — and sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism-related counts. In the ruling, Judge James Omotosho held that Kanu’s broadcasts and orders via his group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had incited violent actions.

James’s intervention at the U.S. Congressional hearing is part of a larger push by some Western lawmakers and religious freedom advocates to hold Nigeria accountable. They argue that the country’s repeated failures to protect religious minorities or to ensure fair legal processes warrant serious international attention.