US State Honors Nnamdi Kanu With Honorary Citizenship Amid Detention in Nigeria
The United States State of Georgia has granted honorary citizenship to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, despite his continued detention in Nigeria.
Politics Nigeria reports that the recognition was announced through a proclamation issued by the Georgia Secretary of State and later made public by Kanu’s family.
The development has drawn attention because it comes at a time when the IPOB leader remains in custody over treason-related charges.
According to the family, the letter was officially received by a former Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Uche Ajulu.
Kanu is currently being held in Sokoto State following his conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja. He has rejected the judgment and has announced plans to challenge it through an appeal process.
The proclamation, signed by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, described Kanu as a goodwill representative of the state and extended symbolic recognition to him as a citizen of Georgia.
The letter stated:
“I, Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of the State of Georgia, do hereby proclaim Nnamdi Okwu Kanu as an Honorary Georgia Citizen.
“May this Outstanding Citizen be afforded every courtesy as a Goodwill Ambassador from Georgia in his travels to other states, to nations beyond the borders of the United States of America, or wherever he may hereafter travel or reside. Thank you for your service to our State.
“In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office. office, at the State Capitol, in the City of Atlanta, this 16th day of January, A.D. 2026.”
However, the proclamation has stirred reactions among supporters of Kanu, who see it as an international acknowledgment of his influence and activism. It also raises fresh questions about the growing foreign attention on his legal situation in Nigeria.
