Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Okwu Kanu (// ^ⓘ ; born 25 September 1967) is a British political activist. He is known for advocating for the independence of Biafra from Nigeria. He is the leader and founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which he founded in 2012, to restore the defunct State of Biafra which existed in Nigeria's Eastern Region during the Nigerian Civil War. He was convicted on terrorism charges.

Kanu was the director of Radio Biafra when he began propagating Biafran separatism. He was arrested on treason charges in Lagos on 14 October 2015 but remained detained even after court orders. wearing a Jewish prayer shawl and head covering. He said in court, that he "believes in Judaism" and considers himself a Jew. He has led his Biafran people to various Jewish prayers and religious observations on different occasions. On 28 April 2017, Kanu was released from prison on bail. Nigerian security forces attempted to quash IPOB's armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, which culminated in a low-level conflict in early 2021. Despite the fighting, Kanu maintained that IPOB was interested in a peaceful solution and achieving Biafran independence without violence or harm. In June 2021, he was widely reported to have been allegedly re-arrested by Interpol in Kenya and handed over to Nigeria but in April 2024, Interpol denied any involvement in the arrest and consequent rendition to Nigeria.

In 2025, he was sentenced to life imprisonment on terrorism charges.