Three United States-based advocacy groups have criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent Independence Day speech in which he reportedly equated the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with the Boko Haram insurgency.
In a joint statement Thursday, made available to journalists in Kaduna, the organisations; Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination (AVID), Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, faulted the Tinubu’s comments, describing the remarks as “reckless, prejudicial and sub judice”.
The statement signed on behalf of the groups by AVID President, Dr. Sylvester Onye, noted that such utterances could undermine ongoing judicial proceedings involving IPOB and its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The groups stressed that comparing IPOB, which according to them, is a non-violent self-determination movement, with a globally recognised terrorist organisation like Boko Haram, was both “inflammatory and irresponsible.”
The statement said, “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 a blatant attempt to prejudice the course of justice and poison the atmosphere of fair trial.”
They argued that IPOB remains engaged in a legal appeal currently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, while Kanu’s criminal trial continues at the Federal High Court.
Against this backdrop, they maintained that such presidential remarks carry the risk of undermining the rule of law.
The groups urged President Tinubu to redirect his focus towards Nigeria’s broader security challenges, including violent armed groups responsible for widespread displacement and loss of lives across the country.
“Rather than fixating on IPOB, which has consistently pursued its aims through non-violent means, the president should prioritise efforts to curb the activities of well-armed militant groups destabilising communities nationwide,” the statement stressed.
The advocacy groups futther reiterated calls for Kanu’s unconditional release, citing existing court rulings in his favour. The statement alleged that Kanu’s continued detention amounted to “ethnic persecution disguised as national security enforcement.”
The groups warned that, “No amount of intimidation can silence Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or diminish his influence.
“On the contrary, every additional day of detention only strengthens his profile among his supporters and beyond.”
The statement called on the United States Congress and the U.S. Department of State to intensify scrutiny of Nigeria’s governance and human rights record.
It also urged global actors to denounce what they described as “reckless and prejudicial” rhetoric from Nigerian leadership.
The group also cautioned that the federal government’s stance towards IPOB could prove counterproductive in the long run.
“President Tinubu has only succeeded in demonstrating one thing: the more he persecutes IPOB and detains Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the stronger their cause becomes.
“No prison walls, no courtroom manipulations, and no propaganda can extinguish the light of truth.”
