The United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Kanu, who faces charges of treason and other crimes, was abducted in Kenya and illegally repatriated to Nigeria where he has been incarcerated since 2021.

UNHRC, which is demanding the separatist leader's release, called his imprisonment illegal, saying the Nigerian and Kenyan governments violated international law.

According to Bruce Fein, the IPOB leader’s international lawyer, the UNHRC also seeks “reparations for violation of internationally guaranteed rights by Nigerian and Kenyan governments”.

In a tweet on Friday, the constitutional lawyer said, “I just received opinion by Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of UN Human Rights Council demanding immediate unconditional release of MNK and reparations for serial violations of internationally guaranteed rights by Nigerian and Kenyan governments. Stand by for full opinion.”

The trial of Kanu who is calling for a referendum on an independent state of Biafra, will resume at Abuja Federal High Court on November 2022.