BRGIE OPEN LETTER To the U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT, U.S. CONGRESS

Written Through BRGIE Liaison MALAYSIA

August 16, 2025

Dear Sir/Madam,

SUBJECT: NIGERIA-MUNITIONS, PRECISION BOMBS, AND PRECISION ROCKETS

I am writing as a concerned Biafran Activist and advocate for human rights to urgently appeal to the U.S. Department of State to rescind its recent approval of a $346 million foreign military sale to the Government of Nigeria, which includes munitions, precision bombs, and precision rockets.

While the stated intent of this transaction is to bolster Nigeria's security and counterterrorism efforts, there is compelling evidence from credible sources indicating that elements within the Nigerian military and high-ranking government officials are colluding with, sponsoring, or providing cover for jihadist groups, Fulani militants, and other terrorists operating in northern and eastern Nigeria.

Supplying advanced weaponry under these circumstances risks exacerbating human rights abuses, prolonging internal conflicts, endangering vulnerable populations—including the indigenous people of Biafra seeking U.S. recognition as a sovereign state through the Biafra Republic Government In Exile (BRGIE)—and potentially arming the very actors perpetrating violence against innocent civilians.

Nigeria's security challenges, including insurgencies by Boko Haram and Fulani militias, have persisted for years, but testimonies of internal complicity have repeatedly surfaced from prominent former military and government figures.

For instance, Retired Lieutenant General Theophilus Y. Danjuma, a former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defense, has publicly accused the armed forces of not being neutral and instead colluding with bandits to facilitate killings and movements across the country. In a 2018 statement, Danjuma warned that the military was complicit in ethnic cleansing and urged Nigerians to defend themselves, as the forces were aiding the perpetrators rather than protecting citizens.

He renewed this call in 2022, emphasizing that his earlier claims—initially dismissed—had proven true, with ongoing banditry and terrorism unchecked due to such collusion. These accusations, coming from a highly respected elder statesman, highlight a systemic issue where military hardware could be misused to shield terrorists rather than combat them.

Similarly, the late Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and public affairs analyst, exposed high-level involvement in terrorism during interviews and testimonies. Mailafia reported that Islamist Fulani militias were behind devastating attacks on indigenous communities in the Middle Belt, and he claimed that a northern governor was a Boko Haram commander, with broader sponsorship from influential figures complicating the banditry crisis in the northwest.

For these revelations, Mailafia faced threats and interrogation by Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS), underscoring the risks of speaking out against this alleged complicity. His insights suggest that arms provided to fight terrorism might instead empower networks intertwined with state actors.

Further substantiating these concerns is the testimony of Retired Commodore Kunle Olawunmi, a former Nigerian Navy intelligence officer and professor of global security studies.

In 2021, Olawunmi revealed that during interrogations of captured Boko Haram members, terrorists named current governors, senators, and even Aso Rock (presidential) officials as their sponsors. He asserted that the Nigerian government, including the defense headquarters and commander-in-chief, is fully aware of these sponsors but has failed to act, allowing the country to descend into a Taliban-like state.

Following his public statements, Olawunmi was declared wanted by the Defense Headquarters, which many view as an attempt to silence whistleblowers rather than address the root causes of terrorism.

Adding to this pattern, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai admitted in 2016 and reiterated in subsequent statements that his administration had traced and paid money to foreign Fulani herdsmen as "compensation" to stop killings in Southern Kaduna, effectively negotiating with militants responsible for violence against local communities.

El-Rufai described these payments as a means to end a cycle of reprisals, but critics argue it amounts to rewarding terrorism and reveals a policy of appeasement rather than prosecution. Such admissions from a high-profile official raise serious doubts about the Nigerian government's commitment to eradicating terrorism, as opposed to managing or even enabling it.

Moreover, arming the Nigerian military under these conditions poses a direct threat to the indigenous people of Biafra, who are actively seeking U.S. recognition as a sovereign state through the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) and their lobbyists in Washington, DC.

The Biafran population in southeastern Nigeria has faced historical and ongoing marginalization, violence, and systemic oppression, often at the hands of state security forces.

Providing advanced munitions, precision bombs, and rockets to a military implicated in colluding with terrorist groups risks further endangering these communities, who are advocating for self-determination and protection from persecution. Such arms could be misused to suppress their legitimate aspirations, escalate violence in the region, and undermine their efforts to secure international support for their cause, thereby exacerbating an already volatile situation.

The consistency of these testimonies from retired insiders across different administrations points to a deeper crisis of accountability and loyalty within the security apparatus. Arming a force implicated in collusion could lead to further atrocities against vulnerable populations, including Christians, ethnic minorities in the north and east, and the indigenous people of Biafra, while undermining U.S. foreign policy goals of promoting stability and human rights in Africa.

The U.S. has previously withheld arms sales to Nigeria over similar concerns and reinstating them now—without rigorous safeguards or investigations—risks complicity in potential abuses.

I respectfully urge the State Department to immediately halt and rescind this arms sale pending an independent review of these allegations, including consultations with human rights organizations, the cited whistleblowers, and representatives of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile.

Prioritizing diplomacy, targeted sanctions against complicit officials would better serve the interests of both Nigerian citizens and international security.

Thank you for considering this critical matter. I look forward to your prompt response and action.

Sincerely,

For and On behalf of the Indigenous people of Biafra represented by Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE):

https://biafrarepublicgovernment.org

Biafra Government (BRGIE)

7200 Belair Road Suite #2

Baltimore MD

21206

USA