An Israeli lawmaker, MK Afef Abed, has urged the United Nations to review whether Nigeria has implemented recommendations issued by a UN working group concerning the detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Abed, a member of Israel’s Knesset, made the appeal in a September 1, 2026 letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The lawmaker specifically referenced Opinion No. 25/2022, in which the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Kanu’s deprivation of liberty to be arbitrary and called for steps to remedy his situation.
According to Abed, the working group had recommended Kanu’s immediate release, compensation and other forms of reparation, while also calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest in Kenya and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.
The Israeli parliamentarian argued that Kanu’s later conviction and life sentence in Nigeria should not erase the concerns raised in the 2022 UN opinion.
He therefore asked the UN to obtain an official update from the Nigerian government on its response to the working group’s recommendations and consider issuing a public update on the matter.
Abed also urged continued UN engagement with Nigeria to ensure that proceedings involving Kanu comply with international human-rights standards and Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The lawmaker further called for continued monitoring of Kanu’s fundamental rights and detention conditions by relevant UN human-rights mechanisms.
His intervention comes amid renewed international attention on Kanu’s case following his conviction on terrorism-related charges and sentence to life imprisonment by a Nigerian Federal High Court in November 2025.
Abed also referenced calls from members of the United States Congress for Kanu’s release and raised concerns over allegations regarding his access to adequate medical care while in detention.
He urged the UN to pursue what he described as a lawful and rights-respecting resolution to the case, stressing the importance of due process, human rights and respect for international legal institutions.
