By Ihechi Enyinnaya
An Israeli Member of the Knesset, Afef Abbed, has called on the United Nations to review Nigeria’s implementation of a 2022 opinion concerning the detention of Nnamdi Kanu and to seek an official update from the Nigerian government.
In a letter dated September 1, 2026, 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, Abbed urged continued international monitoring of Kanu’s case.
Abbed referred to Opinion No. 25/2022 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found Kanu’s deprivation of liberty arbitrary and called for his immediate release, compensation and other reparations. The Working Group also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest in Kenya and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.
The Israeli lawmaker said the UN opinion remained relevant despite subsequent developments in Nigeria, including Kanu’s conviction on terrorism-related charges in November 2025 and his sentence to life imprisonment. Reuters reported that Kanu was convicted on November 20, 2025, after a trial over terrorism-related charges.
According to Abbed, the later conviction did not remove the need to examine the concerns raised by the Working Group regarding Kanu’s rights, detention and transfer to Nigeria.
He asked the UN to request an official account from the Nigerian government on measures taken in response to Opinion No. 25/2022 and, where permitted, publish an update on its implementation.
Abbed further urged the UN to encourage continued dialogue 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 also called for continued monitoring by relevant UN human-rights mechanisms, particularly regarding Kanu’s right to due process, fundamental rights and conditions of detention.
The letter raised additional concerns over allegations regarding Kanu’s health and claims that he had not received adequate medical care or that his personal physician had been prevented from providing treatment. Abbed said such allegations should be examined by the appropriate international human-rights mechanisms.
The UN Working Group’s 2022 opinion had concluded that Nigeria failed to establish a legal basis for Kanu’s detention and characterized the detention as arbitrary under Category I. It also found that Kanu had been subjected to detention connected to the exercise of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.
Abbed also noted that United States Congressman John James had recently called for Kanu’s release, although the Israeli lawmaker’s letter primarily focused on the role of the UN and implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations.
The appeal comes as Kanu remains in custody following his 2025 conviction. His case has continued to attract international attention because of the circumstances surrounding his 2021 arrest in Kenya and transfer to Nigeria, as well as questions surrounding his subsequent prosecution.
Abbed said a rights-based resolution should be pursued in accordance with international law, the rule of law and due-process principles.