Arnold, who is also the founder and Chairman of Africa Arise International (Nigeria) and Africa Arise USA, made the remarks in a presentation to members of the US Congress titled, ‘Nigeria at the crossroads: The case for action’.
Arnold, known for being sympathetic to the Biafra struggle, argued that Nigeria’s current challenges are tied to its colonial origins and called for a referendum to allow citizens determine the country’s future constitutional arrangement.
“Like so many other British colonial contraptions designed to fail, separation is likely inevitable – and just: Analytical characterization drawing on the colonial-era orchestration of Nigerian federal structure, the Biafran independence question, the 1999 Constitution’s imposition and the persistent structural Northern political dominance documented throughout this briefing.
“Historical parallels to British colonial partitions that ultimately failed or required substantial restructuring include India-Pakistan (1947), Sudan-South Sudan (2011), the dissolution of British Somaliland, and Cyprus.
“The formal position of Africa Arise International and related initiatives including the proposed Covenant Republic framework advocates for a freely-chosen constitutional future determined through referendum by the Nigerian people,” he said.
Arnold, who is known for his sympathy toward the Biafra cause, also revisited Nigeria’s civil war history, describing the former Eastern Region as a rapidly developing economy prior to the conflict.
“Eastern Nigerian economic growth rates 1955–1965, per Nigerian Federal Office of Statistics and World Bank historical data.
“The Eastern Region under Premier Michael Okpara’s development program achieved among the highest sustained growth rates in Africa during the pre-Civil War period,” he observed.
He went further to recount the events surrounding the Nigerian Civil War, blaming British support for the Federal Military Government for the defeat of Biafra and alleging widespread humanitarian violations during the conflict.
“The South declared independence in 1967. The British backed the North, which blockaded the South. Shot down Red Cross planes. Up to three million, mostly children, starved to death.
“The Biafran declaration of independence was May 30, 1967. The war lasted until January 1970. British government material and political support to the Federal Military Government is extensively documented.
“The food blockade imposed by federal forces resulted in mass starvation; casualty estimates range from 1 million to 5 million, overwhelmingly from starvation among Igbo civilians, with children disproportionately affected. Multiple Red Cross and Joint Church Aid relief aircraft were shot down during the blockade,” Arnold said.
Arnold also raised concerns about contemporary insecurity and religious violence in Nigeria, claiming that conditions have worsened despite international attention.
“Since CPC designation, killing and impunity have only gotten worse: President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act on October 31, 2025.
“Documented violence against Christian communities has continued and intensified since the designation, including the March 3 Ngoshe massacre, the Kwara State church attacks, the Palm Sunday Angwan Rukuba massacre, and the April 2026 Jos pastor bounty case.”
He further accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately recognise and support internally displaced persons (IDPs), alleging that such actions could meet the legal threshold for genocide under international law.
“Current UNHCR and IOM reporting – and Nigerian government communications to international bodies – has removed recognition of many of these same camps.
“Deliberate non-recognition of IDPs combined with denial of humanitarian aid and active obstruction of international assistance, where documented, meets the conditions-of-life standard where intent can be inferred from pattern,” Arnold added.
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