Nnamdi Kanu remains jailed, Imam who offered N2m for pastor’s head enjoys freedom – Ex-US Mayor

Former U.S. Mayor Mike Arnold has warned the U.S. Congress that Nigeria is at a critical crossroads between becoming a prosperous ally or a global security threat, citing a “selective” justice system and the unchecked spread of radical insurgency.

Former U.S. Mayor Mike Arnold, Chairman of Africa Arise International, has delivered a sobering assessment of Nigeria’s security landscape during a presentation to the U.S. Congress. Arnold asserted that the West African nation stands at a pivotal juncture, teetering between becoming America’s most innovative African ally or a “sharia-exporting giant” that poses a historic security threat. He criticized the Nigerian government for failing to contain radical Islamic insurgencies and argued that the international community has been misled by a “false narrative” that frames systemic violence as mere communal farmer-herder clashes.

In his testimony, Arnold highlighted what he described as a pattern of “ongoing failures and impunity,” specifically pointing to the disparity in how the state treats Southern activists compared to Northern extremists. He cited the case of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2025 following a controversial extraordinary rendition from Kenya. Arnold noted that while the state pursued Kanu with vigor under laws previously nullified by domestic courts, it has remained silent regarding an Islamic cleric who recently placed a N1 million bounty on the head of a Jos-based pastor for alleged blasphemy.

The former mayor further detailed the logistical specifics of the government’s actions against Kanu, suggesting the move was symbolic of a deeper ideological lean within the state apparatus. He questioned the decision to move the IPOB leader to a distant jurisdiction immediately following his conviction, away from his legal support. Detailing the case to the Congress, Arnold stated: “Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and founder of Radio Biafra. British-Nigerian dual national. Abducted from Kenya in June 2021 in what international human rights organizations have characterized as an extraordinary rendition. Returned to Nigerian custody. In November 2025 convicted on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment. Law under which portions of his conviction were based had been nullified by an Enugu High Court in 2023. Within 24 hours of sentencing, transferred approximately 800 kilometers to Sokoto — seat of the Sokoto Caliphate— far from his family and legal counsel.”

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