The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has welcomed the United States President Donald Trump’s recent decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over the escalating persecution of Christians in the country. The designation, announced on October 31st, 2025, highlights Nigeria’s severe religious freedom violations and puts the nation under greater international scrutiny.
IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, welcomed Nigeria’s redesignation, describing it as long overdue through the statement issued on Sunday.
Furthermore, he recalled that Nigeria’s two dominant political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been classified as terrorist organisations by a Canadian court, citing their alleged roles in widespread violence and human rights abuses.
The group also urged the U.S. government to begin a thorough investigation into alleged ethno-religious killings and human rights abuses in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East region. Also, they believed that such an investigation will expose the “systemic persecution” of its members and other minority groups in the country, as well as the “complicity of the Nigerian state in the ongoing violence.”
IPOB praised Trump’s action as a necessary acknowledgment of the “existential threat” facing Christians in Nigeria, attributed largely to radical Islamist violence responsible for thousands of deaths across various regions. The group urged the U.S. government and international community to urgently conduct an independent investigation into the ethno-religious killings in Igboland and other affected areas.
Therefore, President Trump called on Congress to thoroughly investigate these atrocities, directing Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole alongside the House Appropriations Committee to report their findings. Nigeria’s designation as a CPC signals a critical step towards accountability, increased diplomatic pressure, and potential sanctions aimed at curbing the ongoing violence.
Supporters of the designation argue that it brings much-needed global awareness to the plight of persecuted Christians and could mobilize stronger international efforts to protect religious freedom in Nigeria. IPOB’s statement aligns with calls from other human rights advocates for justice and protection for victims of religious violence.
The CPC status is regarded as one of the most serious measures the U.S. government can take against nations violating religious freedoms, reflecting a commitment to halt these abuses and support affected communities.
The statement reads in part, “The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the able leadership of our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warmly welcomes the recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the government of the United States.”
“This development comes on the heels of the Canadian court’s landmark designation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as terror-enabling organisations.”
“The IPOB family extends profound gratitude to President Donald J. Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and to all patriotic Biafrans and friends of Biafra in the United States who have relentlessly championed this noble cause. Their courageous advocacy has brought global attention to the evil of religious persecution, state-sponsored violence, and sectarian killings that have long plagued Nigeria, particularly targeting the Christian and Igbo populations,” the statement continues.
“This recognition is not merely symbolic; it represents a moral victory for justice, truth, and the sanctity of human life. By calling out the Nigerian state’s complicity in ethnic and religious violence, the international community has helped save countless lives that would otherwise have been lost to orchestrated insecurity and genocidal attacks.”
“However, IPOB insists that the work of the US government and the broader international community is far from complete. There remains an urgent need for an independent international inquiry into the root causes of persistent ethno-religious killings and insecurity in Igboland. Such an inquiry is essential to unmask the perpetrators, financiers, and political enablers behind these heinous acts, and to ensure that justice is done in accordance with international human rights law.”
The statement furthered, “We salute the unyielding courage and resilience of all Biafrans worldwide, especially the exceptional advocacy of American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self-Determination and Rising Sun, along with other advocates of liberty around the world who have continued to speak against tyranny, impunity, and the ongoing genocide against our people and Northern Nigeria Christian communities. History will remember your courage. Relief shall at last come to the people of the long suffering peoples of the Middle Belt region as a result of this designation.”
“Once again, we commend all members of this great IPOB family for their unwavering determination in pursuit of freedom rooted in liberty for all. All of you played a part in this significant diplomatic milestone. Together, we have taken another step towards truth, justice, and the restoration of the dignity of all peoples trapped in this Lugardian contraption called Nigeria,” the statement ended.
