A major milestone for the Biafran cause unfolded in Washington, D.C., as Ogechukwu Nkere, Acting Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, submitted historic testimony to the U.S. Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on July 25, 2025. Nkere’s statement, delivered in his capacity as a Biafran-American political and human rights activist, marks the first time the Biafra issue has officially entered the U.S. congressional record in modern history.
Nkere’s testimony was submitted in response to the Commission’s June 24 hearing titled “Transnational Repression: Trends and Policy Approaches”, co-chaired by Congressman Chris Smith and Congressman Jim McGovern. Congressman Smith, a long-time critic of human rights abuses in Nigeria, previously chaired a March 2025 hearing specifically focused on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, a country he described as “spiraling into authoritarianism.”
The testimony laid bare Nigeria’s alleged transnational repression against Biafrans, spotlighting the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya and the ongoing politically motivated trial of Simon Ekpa in Finland. Nkere accused the Nigerian government of deploying international intimidation tactics to silence voices advocating Biafran self-determination, calling both cases clear examples of cross-border human rights violations.
He urged the U.S. Congress to act decisively by recommending visa bans, economic sanctions, and suspension of bilateral assistance to Nigeria unless Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released and granted safe passage. Nkere further called for punitive measures against Finland, including potential tariffs, should it continue with what he described as a “politically compromised judicial process” targeting Simon Ekpa.
The testimony, now permanently part of the U.S. congressional archive, was received as a watershed moment by Biafran activists and diaspora communities. Many hailed Nkere’s action as a long-overdue step toward internationalizing Biafra’s decades-long struggle for autonomy, justice, and accountability.
Legal observers have noted that the inclusion of such testimony elevates the Biafra discourse beyond social media and street protests to formal diplomatic and legislative platforms. Analysts say it could add pressure on Western governments to reexamine their silence on the Nigeria-Biafra conflict, especially amid rising reports of state-sponsored repression.
The full testimony and related hearing documents are accessible via the official Congressional Human Rights Commission portal:
🔗 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing
🔗 Testimony by Ogechukwu Nkere (PDF)
