A coalition of United States-based human rights and self-determination advocacy groups has denounced President Bola Tinubu’s recent comparison of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with Boko Haram, calling the remark prejudicial and harmful to ongoing legal proceedings.
In a joint statement signed by Ambassador Sylvester Onye on behalf of AVID (Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination), Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, the groups described Tinubu’s remarks as “sub judice” and “a blatant attempt to poison the atmosphere of justice, intimidate the judiciary, and prejudice ongoing proceedings.”
The coalition stressed that IPOB remains a non-violent self-determination movement and argued that the President should instead focus on curbing terrorism and armed banditry that continue to ravage Nigerian communities.
“It is deeply unfortunate that a sitting president would make such a false and inflammatory statement while IPOB’s appeal is pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria and while Mazi Nnamdi Kanu battles for his life in the Federal High Court,” the statement read.
They accused successive Nigerian governments of persecuting Kanu, warning that continued detention only boosts his influence.
“Every additional day of his detention magnifies his stature and makes him even more beloved at home and abroad,” the groups declared, likening his resilience to historic struggles for freedom.
The coalition further urged the U.S. Congress and the State Department to hold Nigeria accountable, condemn what they described as “reckless and prejudicial utterances,” and demand Kanu’s unconditional release.
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“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 or executive propaganda can extinguish the light of truth,” they added.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government maintains its proscription of IPOB, even as Kanu’s legal team continues to press for his release based on earlier court rulings in his favor.
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