Three United States (US)–based human rights and self-determination advocacy organisations have criticised the President, Bola Tinubu, over his Independence Day remarks equating the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with Boko Haram.
In a joint statement made available in Kaduna on Thursday, and signed by the Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination (AVID) President, Dr Sylvester Onye, on behalf of Rising Sun and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, they described the President’s comments as “prejudicial and sub judice.”
According to the groups, Tinubu’s comparison of IPOB to Boko Haram was inappropriate, especially as IPOB’s legal appeal is still before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, continues to face 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,” the groups said.
“This utterance is not only sub judice but also a blatant attempt to poison the atmosphere of justice and prejudice the outcome of the case,” Onye added.
The organisations argued that the President should focus on addressing Nigeria’s wider security challenges, “rather than fixating on IPOB—a non-violent self-determination movement.”
The groups stressed further: “President Tinubu should direct his attention to violent armed groups who continue to displace communities and take lives across Nigeria.”
They also maintained that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu would not diminish his influence among his supporters.
“We remind President Tinubu that no amount of intimidation can silence Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or diminish his popularity. On the contrary, every additional day of his detention only magnifies his stature,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the advocacy groups urged the United States Congress and the U.S. Department of State to closely scrutinise Nigeria’s governance and ensure that democratic principles are upheld.
They further called on the international community to condemn what they described as “prejudicial utterances” by President Tinubu against IPOB.
The groups demanded the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, citing previous court rulings in his favour and calling on Nigerian leaders to be held accountable for actions they say amount to “ethnic persecution under the guise of national security.”
The statement further warned that the government’s current stance could prove counterproductive.
Said Dr Onye: “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 advocacy groups stressed.
