A delegation of American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) and allied groups has called on the United States to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to escalating violence by bandits and criminal herdsmen.
The appeal was made during a visit to Capitol Hill, where the group also lobbied for the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. AVID President Dr. Sylvester Onyia condemned Nigeria’s failure to protect civilians from killings and land seizures, citing alleged government inaction.
The delegation highlighted the 2017 massacre of 27 Biafra agitators during former President Donald Trump’s inauguration and accused Britain of complicity in Kanu’s prolonged detention. They warned that unchecked violence could threaten oil-rich regions, destabilizing U.S. and Western interests.
Rev. Augustine Odimegwu, a delegation member, criticized a recent statement by Nigeria’s DSS chief urging citizens to self-defend as a sign of state failure. The group urged Southeast governors to bolster community security and expel suspicious forest dwellers.
Nigeria was previously designated a CPC under Trump but removed by President Joe Biden. AVID insists reinstating the label is crucial to addressing alleged ethnic and religious atrocities.
