President Bola Tinubu
Three U.S.-based human rights and self-determination advocacy organizations have faulted President Bola Tinubu for likening the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to the Boko Haram insurgent group in his Independence Day address.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, the groups, Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination (AVID), Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination described the President’s remarks as “reckless, prejudicial, and sub judice.”
Signed by AVID President, Dr. Sylvester Onye, the statement argued that Tinubu’s comments were inappropriate given that IPOB’s appeal is still pending before the Supreme Court, while its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains on trial at the Federal High Court.
“It is deeply unfortunate that a sitting President would make such a false and inflammatory statement while judicial proceedings are ongoing.
“This utterance is not only sub judice but also an attempt to poison the atmosphere of justice and prejudice the outcome of the case,” the groups declared.
They urged Tinubu to focus instead on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, pointing out that violent armed groups continue to displace communities and claim lives across the country.
The organizations stressed that the detention of Kanu would not weaken his influence, insisting that “every additional day of his detention only magnifies his stature.”
They further appealed to the U.S. Congress and the State Department to closely monitor Nigeria’s governance and to hold its leaders accountable for actions they described as “ethnic persecution under the guise of national security.”
“President Tinubu has only succeeded in proving one thing: the more he persecutes IPOB and detains Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the stronger and more popular both become.
“No prison walls, no courtroom manipulations, and no propaganda can extinguish the light of truth,” the statement added.
The groups concluded by demanding Kanu’s unconditional release, citing existing court rulings in his favor, and warning that the government’s current stance could be counterproductive.
