HURIWA Questions Tinubu Government Over Alleged Double Standards in Handling Armed Groups Across Nigeria

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised concerns over what it describes as apparent double standards in the Federal Government’s approach to non-state security actors under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on June 6, 2026, the association said it was troubled by what it termed conflicting responses to armed or quasi-security groups allegedly associated with different ethnic and regional interests across the country.
HURIWA noted that while successive administrations, including the current APC-led government, have continued military operations against alleged IPOB-linked vigilante groups in the South-East—leading to arrests, proscription, and the continued detention of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—there are reports suggesting that similar groups in other regions may be receiving different treatment.
The association specifically referenced public claims attributed to Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, that he had been approved or licensed to operate a private security network. It also recalled previous controversies regarding alleged state tolerance or support for other regional armed formations.
According to HURIWA, these developments raise critical questions about whether Nigeria is operating a system of selective justice and selective security approval, and whether some citizens are being treated differently under the law.
The group argued that if IPOB-linked vigilante formations are being dismantled and criminalised on national security grounds, the government should clearly explain the legal or constitutional basis for tolerating, accommodating, or allegedly endorsing other privately organised armed or quasi-military groups.
HURIWA warned that failure to address these concerns could deepen ethnic tensions, weaken public trust in federal institutions, and undermine the perception of the Nigerian state as an impartial authority.
The association reiterated that Nigeria is a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law and stressed that there is no constitutional provision permitting the arbitrary licensing of private armies or ethnic militias anywhere in the federation.
It further condemned any policy inconsistency that appears to classify some groups as terrorists while portraying others as patriots despite engaging in similar security-related activities outside formal state structures.
HURIWA also expressed concern over the continued incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite court pronouncements and growing local and international attention, while, according to the group, other individuals accused of comparable or lesser offences appear to be treated differently.
The association called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently clarify whether any private security outfit has been officially licensed outside the statutory framework of Nigeria’s security agencies, the legal basis for such approval if it exists, the criteria used in determining which groups are accepted or criminalised, and the status of all non-state armed or quasi-security formations operating across the country.
HURIWA warned that continued uncertainty on the issue could pose a threat to national unity and security cohesion, insisting that the law must be applied equally regardless of geography, ethnicity, or political considerations.
The group maintained that all Nigerians are equal before the law and should be treated without fear or favour, adding that security policy should not become an instrument of political or ethnic discrimination.
It urged President Tinubu to address the concerns in the interest of transparency, justice, and national stability.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator, HURIWA
June 06, 2026.