U.S. Groups Reject IPOB-Boko Haram Link, Call For Kanu’s Release

Three United States–based human rights and self-determination advocacy organizations have rejected President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day remarks equating the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with Boko Haram.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday and signed by the president of Advocates for Victims of Injustice and Discrimination (AVID), Dr Sylvester Onye on behalf of Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, they described the president’s comments as “reckless, 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.

Speaking on Wednesday, the president had said, “The officers and men of our armed forces and other security agencies are working tirelessly and making significant sacrifices to keep us safe. They are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes.

“We see their victories in their blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram Terror in North-East, IPOB/ESN terror in South-East and banditry and kidnapping.”

But the groups rejected the remarks saying, “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.”

The organizations argued that the president should instead focus on addressing Nigeria’s wider security challenges.

“Rather than fixating on IPOB—a non-violent self-determination movement—President Tinubu should direct his attention to violent armed groups who continue to displace communities and take lives across Nigeria,” the statement noted.

They also maintained that 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 groups declared.

The advocacy groups urged the United States Congress and the U.S. Department of State to closely scrutinize Nigeria’s governance and ensure that democratic principles are upheld.

They further called on the international community to condemn what they described as “reckless and 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 to hold Nigerian leaders accountable for actions they say amount to “ethnic persecution under the guise of national security.”

The statement warned that the government’s current stance could prove counterproductive.

“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 groups said.