From Prison to Global Recognition: Jailed IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu Granted US Citizenship
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From Prison to Global Recognition: Nnamdi Kanu Granted Honorary US Citizenship
The Jailed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been conferred with honorary citizenship of the State of Georgia in the United States, according to official documentation issued by the state authorities.
The recognition also designates Kanu as an “Outstanding Citizen” and accords him full courtesies as a Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Georgia. The proclamation authorises the extension of official courtesies to him in his travels within the United States, to other countries, or wherever he may lawfully reside.
Ejes Gist News reports that the proclamation was issued by the Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, acting on behalf of the Republican-controlled state government.
Details of the Georgia Proclamation
The official document was dated January 16, 2026, and sealed at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. It was formally presented on January 23, 2026, in Milledgeville, one of Georgia’s recognised capital cities, by State Representative Gab Okoye.
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The certificate was received on Kanu’s behalf by Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke, a former Nigerian Consul General to South Africa, who described the IPOB leader as “Africa’s most famous political prisoner and a global prisoner of conscience.”
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Text of the Honorary Citizenship Certificate
The proclamation, signed by the Georgia Secretary of State, states in part:
“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 accorded 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.”
Political and Legal Context
Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, a separatist group advocating for the self-determination of the Igbo people in Nigeria’s South-East region. His activities and broadcasts have drawn sustained attention from Nigerian authorities and international observers.
Kanu is currently serving a life sentence at Sokoto prison following his conviction by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The conviction relates to charges brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria over terrorism and related offences, which have remained the subject of domestic and international scrutiny.
International Recognition Amid Detention
The honorary citizenship granted by the State of Georgia does not confer United States nationality or immigration status. Rather, it represents a symbolic recognition by a US state, often used to acknowledge individuals deemed to have made notable contributions or to highlight issues of international concern.
The development has generated renewed attention to Kanu’s legal status and the broader debate surrounding political detentions, self-determination movements, and international advocacy, particularly among members of the Nigerian diaspora and human rights observers.
