Documents from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) reveal that a coalition of pro-Biafra groups is behind the campaign about alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria.
According to reports, the move prompted US President Donald Trump to declare Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).
US Senator Ted Cruz recently accused the Nigerian government of facilitating a “massacre” against Christians, claiming that Boko Haram and radical Islamist extremists have killed over 50,000 Christians and destroyed more than 20,000 churches and schools since 2009.
The documents, submitted under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), link the campaign to the United States of Biafra, which comprises the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) and the Biafra De Facto Government in the Homeland.
The filings show diaspora-driven advocacy being organised, funded, and framed as a foreign policy issue in the US, often amplified via social media.
BRGIE’s representative, Moran Global Strategies, led by former US Congressman Jim Moran, has reportedly forged connections with Cruz’s office.
Further reports suggested that representatives of both entities signed a joint declaration in Lahti, Finland, on 2 December 2024, claiming Nigeria is conducting a “genocidal onslaught” against Biafrans and Christians.
Signatories include Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen and self-declared Prime Minister of the group, now serving a six-year prison term in Finland for multiple offences, including participation in a terrorist organisation and incitement to commit crimes.
Other signatories listed in the documents are Dr Ngozi Orabueze, Deputy Prime Minister, and Diane Emeh, Secretary of Finance and Investments, both US citizens.
While the group publicly advocates secession, the FARA filings suggest its messaging is primarily aimed at American political audiences, particularly conservative groups supportive of Trump.
The documents showed that backing Biafra would counter China’s influence in Africa and protect Christians “under siege.”
The filings describe structured activities including diaspora leadership, fundraising, humanitarian aid, appointments, and the issuing of “pronouncements and rules,” citing an attempt to build political legitimacy abroad rather than within Nigeria.
Also, the documents outline the group’s ideological grievances, citing historical violence, political exclusion, and cultural conflict, while asserting the “Restoration of the Independence of the United States of Biafra” after an internal vote between February and November 2024, appointing Ekpa as coordinator of the transition government over “40 confederating states.”
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