DIFFERENT groups with ties to the Biafra separatist movement have actively lobbied the United States to recognise and support its bid for secession from Nigeria over the years, The ICIR findings reveal.
Several agreements were signed between the groups and US based firms, to carry out lobby campaigns, filings with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) have shown.
This is coming amid President Donald Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as “a country of particular concern” with a threat to strike over genocide claims against Christians in the country.
The ICIR reports that during Trump’s first term in office the US State Department designated Nigeria as a CPC in December 2020. This was, however, reversed in November 2021 during the Biden administration.
Inside the lobby contracts
Investigation by The ICIR reveal that the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and other pro-Biafra separatist groups have entered into several contracts with US based firms to carry out different campaigns for self-determination agenda.
One of the filings indicate that in June 2024, the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) engaged Moran Global Strategies (MGS), a US based lobbying and strategic advisory firm, to “lobby to gain support for Biafra’s independence.”
The document confirms that the company had been acting as its foreign agent to lobby and advocate on their behalf in the US.
As part of the deal, a “letter of agreement” was signed on June 10-12, 2024, between MGS and the BRGIE, represented by its self-styled prime minister, Simon Ekpa.
Moran Global Strategies (MGS) is a US-based government-relations firm registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). It is owned by former U.S. Representative Jim Moran, who served the Northern Virginia communities of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County for 24 years.
Under the deal, MGS is to gain US support for Biafra independence, promote the narrative that Biafra would be a staunch ally of the US and a bulwark against Islamic terrorism in the region.
The deal provides that the lobby firm would be paid a monthly fee of $10,000 to render lobbying, promotion, perception management, and PR services on behalf of its client, according to the deal.
The document further showed that the contract commenced on June 15, 2024, while the fees would be billed in advance on the first day of each month and due on or before the 15th day.
The contract, renewable on an annual basis, according to the terms, would help the separatist leader to convince the US government and private sectors to support the secession of Biafra from Nigeria.
“Under terms of this agreement, MGS agrees to provide Biafra with strategic advice and facilitate interaction with appropriate members of the Executive and Legislative Branches of the US government, as well as third-party interests.
“MGS will support Biafra’s fundamental goal to encourage the United States government to support Biafran independence and to recognise Biafra as the only entity which represents Biafra,” part of the agreement reads.
It said the US government would be encouraged to engage BRGIE directly and through advocacy by the US Congress and others, including faith-based and human rights organisations and think tanks.
The Jewish sentiment agreement
Findings by The ICIR also revealed that another lobby contract was signed between the Biafra Jewish Autonomous Region Governing Council and a Las Vegas based lobby firm, Daniel Golden on January 1, 2024. The agreement, according to documents obtained by The ICIR “is to create support for the establishment of a Jewish Autonomous Region in Biafra.”
This, according to the agreement, is to be achieved through reaching out to politicians to encourage support for the autonomous region, marketing awareness through social media and email.
“We plan to disseminate our vision and goals for the region to politicians, create dialogue between the region, the US, and its allies, lobby governments for support,” the pro-Biafra group stated, stressing that the plans would include governance and economic details.
Similarly, the United States of Biafra, entered into another agreement with a US registered lobby firm known as the United States of Biafra-Biafra Republic Government in Exile-Defacto.
In this instance the address of the registrant and the address of the foreign principal are the same.
The agreement was aimed at “leading the United States of Biafra citizens in the 40 states of Biafra, humanitarian assistance, fundraising activities, appointments, control and making pronouncements and rules.”
The filing shows that one, Christian Edeozor, represented the United States of Biafra, while Ngozi Orabueze signed the agreement on behalf of the registrant.
Findings by The ICIR shows that the representative of the registrant, Orabueze, is a qualified APRN FNP (Advanced Practice Registered Family Nurse Practitioner) practicing in Atlanta, where she works at Georgia Act and Healthcare Services.
Orabueze is one of the prominent figures in the Biafra movement scene also known as the Chief of Staff for the Biafra Republic Government in Exile. She was even been appointed as a “Minister of Oil and Gas” for Biafra by Simon Ekpa. She made headlines for unveiling the Biafra flag in Finland and announcing a recruitment drive for a “Biafran Airforce.”
What BRGIE stands for
BRGIE is a self-proclaimed government set up by some Biafran separatist leaders and activists seeking for an independent state separate from Nigeria.
It is a “government in exile” that focuses on diplomatic and foreign relations activities, like building alliances, sharing the Biafran story worldwide, and negotiating with other nations and international organisations for actions against Nigeria.
BRGIE has had the first ever U.S. congressional briefing on September 18, 2025, indicating some level of lobby engagement with the U.S. legislative branch.
The organisation claims to provide services such as asylum assistance for Biafrans seeking refugee protection and is involved in various projects, including a self-referendum push and humanitarian type initiatives.
More lobby deals uncovered
Findings by The ICIR indicate that prior to the 2024 agreement, two others had been entered into between IPOB and other US-based lobby firms.
For instance, in February 2021, the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, engaged BW Global Group (BWGG) another American lobbying firm to help the group win the support of the U.S. government.
The firm, co-owned by Jeffrey Birrel and Alan White, is registered in Washington D.C, with a high concentration of top government officials, lawmakers, policymakers, and opinion leaders. It is believed that IPOB engaged them to push its cause.
The one-year deal which was slated to run for 12 months, was signed at the cost of $750,000, according to the contract papers. Filings by BWGG after negotiations which were concluded in February 2021 show that the firm was engaged by Kanu to undertake “political activities” in the U.S. on behalf of IPOB.
The activities include engaging the U.S. government, Congress and the Department of State, (the equivalent of Foreign Affairs Ministries in Nigeria and other countries) and engaging policymakers on behalf of IPOB.
“The registrant expects to advocate on behalf of IPOB within the US Government (including the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of State) and otherwise engage policymakers and opinion leaders.
“BWGG shall provide the IPOB with services relating to the promotion of human rights and democracy and shall otherwise act as an advocate for the indigenous people of Biafra,” the document reads in part.
It added that BWGG “may also undertake other similar services that might be referred to BWGG by IPOB from time to time by mutual agreement.”
IPOB confirmed that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu had, indeed, engaged a new lobbying firm in the United States.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement disclosed that Kanu hired the US lobbyist with over N300m.
“Yes, it’s true we hired another lobbying group in USA to facilitate the coming and recognition of Biafra independence, we engaged them with the wholesome amount of 300m naira about $750 to lobby for Biafra freedom in America and the whole world,” Powerful reportedly said.
The ICIR also found that aside the BWGG agreement, a similar one was earlier struck by Kanu with another U.S.-based lobbying entity, Mercury Public Affairs LLC, in 2019.
According to the agreement paper submitted to the US Department of Justice, the lobbyists were engaged to provide strategic consulting services, government relations, and public affairs, including outreach to and engagement with relevant third-party organisations on issues of importance to Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB.
Under the contract, which kicked off in October, 2019, IPOB, through Kanu, paid Mercury Public Affairs $85,000 per month to help IPOB seek global endorsement, sympathy as well as carry out anti-Nigerian campaigns across the world.
Among other things, Mercury Public Affairs was to lobby the US Congress and State Department, promote human rights and democracy in Nigeria while advocating for the Biafran cause of self determination.
The firm is said to have succeeded in providing strategic consulting to IPOB which enabled IPOB engage international human-right organisations.
For instance, in a report promoted by Mercury Public Affairs LLC in PRNewswire – the global press-release distribution service-on March 25, 2020, the foreign agent had guided IPOB and Kanu to petition the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions on human rights abuses in its official report on Nigeria.
According to the report, the petition chronicled human rights abuses perpetrated against Biafrans in Nigeria to Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions at the United Nations.
Callamard had visited Nigeria in 2019 to investigate reports of violence and injustice against innocent Nigerians and the petition was part of a broader effort to secure a review of the materials for possible inclusion in a UN report on Nigeria.
Last year, BRGIE claim it’s acting prime minister, Nkere, met with US senator Ted Cruz, this said meeting was later highlighted by Ekpa, who amplified it on his X post.
Cruz, a US Republican Senator from Texas is known for his conservative stance on issues like gun rights, limited government, and religious freedom, Cruz has been lobbying for sanctions and military action in Nigeria over claims of persecution of Christians in the country.
Recently, Cruz proposed a bill that seeks to protect “persecuted” Christians in Nigeria and hold Nigerian government officials accountable for “facilitating the mass murder”.
Known as “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025”, the legislation seeks to hold Nigerian government officials accountable for allegedly “facilitating the mass murder of Christians”.
IPOB protest in US
Also, in the wake of the current genocide allegations, there was protest organised by IPOB in Washington to oppose a proposed Nigerian government delegation’s visit to “polish Nigeria’s image.”
The protest, announced by IPOB’s media secretary, Emma Powerful, sought to “raise our voices with thunder in the capital of the free world” and show solidarity with President Trump’s stance against “ethno-religious genocide in Nigeria.”
This, according to Iliyasu Gadu, an Abuja based diplomat and public affairs commentator who spoke with The ICIR, was a clear demonstration of the re-enactment of the Biafra lobby campaign activity by Biafra related groups in the US capital.
Similarly, the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a US-based veterans’ organisation, wrote to the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, calling for the establishment of a United States military base in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
AVID is made up of American citizens of Igbo descent who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
In the letter dated November 6, and signed by its president, Sylvester Unyia and Secretary, Godson Obiagwu, the group thanked Secretary Hegseth for his “unwavering support in tackling the Christian genocide in Nigeria” and urged concrete action to deter further violence.
AVID said its members have deep cultural and geographical knowledge of the affected areas in southeastern Nigeria, which they believe uniquely positions them to support US engagement in the region.
“We know the topography of the areas affected, their mindset, culture, and comprehend fully the magnitude of this problem.
“A permanent solution is the only way to resolve this genocide. Establishing a U.S. military base (in Nigeria) will be the genesis of resolving this issue, as it will serve as a deterrent to these perpetrators,” the letter stated.
Congressional briefing claims
BRGIE claims it attended a U.S. congressional briefing on September 18, 2025. According to BRGIE, during the meeting, they presented what they called “verifiable evidence” of religious and ethnic persecution in Nigeria directly to U.S. lawmakers, highlighting mass killings, Christian persecution, and alleged genocidal acts against Biafrans and Christians.
BRGIE’s leadership claims that it lobbied US lawmakers, including Cruz. According to BRGIE’s Nkere this advocacy contributed to the Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. However, publicly available congressional documents do not explicitly reference BRGIE as the source of the bill.
Describing the briefing as an “open door to international recognition” for Biafra, BRGIE’s Nkere, said it marked a paradigm shift from a local Nigerian issue to a global religious freedom emergency, encouraging other countries and international bodies to get involved.
In a video released on X, Nkere expressed the desire of BRGIE to enter into economic, defence, and military deals with the United States and called on the US government to sanction Nigeria for alleged human rights abuses against Biafrans.
He also demanded the release of Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu by Nigeria and Simon Ekpa by Finland.
US Senators misled by IPOB – Presidency
The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being behind reports that allegedly influenced former U.S. President Trump’s threat of possible military action against Nigeria.
During an interview on Russia National TV, Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, urged Trump to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and desist from any plans to deploy American troops to the country.
Bwala described the allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria as a “false narrative” pushed by separatist groups and their international sympathisers to discredit the Tinubu administration.
“We try our best to downplay the rhetoric because we know for sure that that can be the reflection of the realities on ground,” he said.
According to Bwala, U.S. senators such as Ted Cruz had been “misled by IPOB sympathisers” who deliberately manipulated data and reports to influence Washington’s foreign policy.
IPOB reviving their civil war propaganda – Diplomat
Gadu, the diplomat and public affairs commentator earlier mentioned said the IPOB and, indeed the Igbo’s generally have been ‘forceful’ in terms of lobbying and advocacy.
“When you go to the internet you see their commentators and bloggers very forceful in their lobby campaigns. They have carried out these campaigns to wherever their kit and kins are; whether in America, Germany or elsewhere.
“The agenda is to create an impression that the Igbo’s are being persecuted, marginalised and subjected to all kinds of inhuman treatment in Nigeria. To the uncritical mind, this resonates, creating the impression that they may have a case. We all know that during the civil war the Igbo propaganda machine was very effective-more than even that of the federal government.
“So, they are building on that with their lobby and advocacy campaigns in the US and elsewhere to present themselves as victims of the Nigerian State. They are leveraging on the fact that America is a country of lobbyists with so many lobby groups in the Congress on many courses,” Gadu said.
Claims of marginalisation, particularly in the post–civil war era, remain one of the key drivers of the contemporary separatist movement in the South-East.
Fidelis Mac-Leva is the Deputy Editor of The ICIR/Head of Investigation. He has previously worked with several media outfits in Nigeria, including DAILY TIMES and DAILY TRUST. A compellingly readable Features writer, his forte is Public Interest Journalism which enables him to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted..." He can be reached via fmacleva@icirnigeria.org, @FidelisLeva on X
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