U.S. Rights Groups Slam Tinubu Over IPOB–Boko Haram Comparisom

***Demand Kanu’s Release

A coalition of U.S.-based advocacy groups has faulted President Bola Tinubu for likening the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Boko Haram, warning that such remarks are prejudicial and risk undermining judicial proceedings.
The joint statement, signed by Ambassador Sylvester Onye on behalf of Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination (AVID), Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, described IPOB as a non-violent self-determination movement.
“It is deeply unfortunate that a sitting president would make such an inflammatory statement while IPOB’s appeal is still pending before Nigeria’s Supreme Court and as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu struggles for his life in detention,” the groups said.
They urged Tinubu to prioritize tackling violent extremists and armed bandits ravaging Nigerian communities instead of “obsessing over IPOB.”
The coalition accused successive governments of persecuting Kanu, stressing that his continued detention has only enhanced his popularity at home and abroad. “Every additional day of his detention magnifies his stature,” the groups declared.
Calling on the U.S. Congress and the Department of State to demand Kanu’s unconditional release, the coalition urged the international community to hold Nigerian leaders accountable for what it termed “ethnic persecution disguised as national security.”
“No prison walls, no courtroom manipulations, and no executive propaganda can extinguish the light of truth,” the statement added.
Kanu’s legal team continues to press for his release, citing favorable rulings, while the Nigerian government maintains IPOB’s proscription.