By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned what it described as the Presidency’s desperate attempt to discredit Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for an independent international investigation into the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Rather than vilifying Governor Makinde, the Federal Government should embrace transparency by inviting the United Nations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other internationally respected investigative bodies to independently examine every aspect of the horrifying 56-day captivity and the circumstances surrounding the rescue operation.

If the Federal Government has nothing to hide, why is it uncomfortable with an independent investigation?

If security agencies have given Nigerians the full story, why the hostility towards international scrutiny?

Democracy thrives on accountability, not official propaganda.

HURIWA finds it curious that instead of welcoming an opportunity to strengthen public confidence, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga chose to attack Governor Makinde for demanding answers to questions that millions of Nigerians are already asking.

These are not political questions. They are questions arising from a national tragedy.

Where are the bodies of the terrorists reportedly neutralised during the operation?

Where are the terrorists said to have been arrested?

Who are these suspects and why have Nigerians not been given verifiable information about them?

Why was a newly trained Army officer reportedly deployed to lead such a dangerous rescue operation when Nigeria has thousands of highly experienced combat officers?

Who are the soldiers reportedly wounded, and under what circumstances were they injured?

Why were traumatised children and teachers hurried before television cameras for public interviews instead of first receiving comprehensive psychological evaluation, trauma counselling and professional debriefing?

Why did government officials appear more interested in public relations than in the emotional recovery of victims who had endured nearly two months in terrorist captivity?

These are legitimate questions in any democratic society. They cannot be dismissed as politics.

HURIWA fully supports Governor Seyi Makinde’s demand for an independent investigation because the incident raises issues that go beyond Oyo State. It touches directly on national security, institutional accountability and the constitutional duty of government to protect lives.

The association rejects every attempt to portray calls for transparency as an attack on Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Independent investigations are globally recognised mechanisms for establishing facts where public confidence has been shaken. Nigeria itself has welcomed international investigations in several instances involving human rights and security concerns. It would therefore amount to double standards to reject such scrutiny now.

HURIWA insists that transparency should never frighten an innocent government.

The Tinubu administration should immediately demonstrate confidence in its own narrative by formally inviting the United Nations, the FBI and other credible international investigative institutions to independently establish the facts surrounding the abduction, the prolonged captivity, the rescue operation and every institutional action taken before, during and after the incident.

History will not remember those who silenced questions. It will remember those who pursued the truth.

The children deserve the truth.

Their families deserve the truth.

Nigeria deserves the truth.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is outraged by the latest bloodbath unleashed on innocent Nigerians in Otukpo-Nobi and Akpachi communities of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, where no fewer than 16 defenceless citizens, including women and children, were massacred in coordinated pre-dawn attacks by terrorists.
This latest carnage is another painful reminder that human life has become frighteningly cheap in parts of Nigeria because governments have continued to react after every massacre instead of preventing them. The repeated slaughter of innocent citizens can no longer be dismissed as unfortunate incidents; they represent a monumental failure of governance and security.
HURIWA extends its deepest condolences to the grieving families and the people of Benue State. We mourn with every community that has buried loved ones whose only crime was living peacefully in their ancestral homes.
Enough is enough.
The Federal Government must immediately deploy overwhelming intelligence and security assets to identify, arrest and prosecute every terrorist, financier, collaborator and sponsor behind these coordinated killings. Nigerians are tired of empty assurances, routine condemnations and endless promises that never translate into justice. The killers must be hunted down and made to face the full weight of the law.
HURIWA is particularly alarmed that despite more than three years of recurring massacres in Benue and Plateau States, the governors of the two states have not done enough to safeguard the lives and property of their people. Governors Hyacinth Alia and Caleb Mutfwang cannot continue to issue condolences after every attack while communities remain exposed to repeated invasions by armed terrorists.
Although policing is constitutionally under the control of the Federal Government, governors are the chief security officers of their states and are expected to provide proactive leadership by strengthening intelligence gathering, supporting lawful community-based security initiatives, coordinating closely with security agencies and ensuring that vulnerable communities receive adequate protection before attacks occur—not after innocent citizens have been buried.
The persistent pattern of attacks demonstrates that preventive measures have been grossly inadequate. These recurring massacres expose dangerous gaps in intelligence, surveillance and rapid response that terrorists have continued to exploit with devastating consequences.
HURIWA calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the worsening killings in Benue and Plateau as a national security emergency requiring sustained military and intelligence operations until every terrorist network operating in the affected areas is dismantled.
We equally demand an independent and transparent investigation into these repeated attacks to expose those responsible, identify any operational failures and ensure that justice is delivered without delay. The culture of impunity must end.
Nigeria cannot continue to normalise mass killings. A government that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens risks eroding public confidence in the very foundations of constitutional democracy.
The blood of innocent Nigerians cries out for justice. History will not be kind to public officials who watch communities bleed while offering little more than words of sympathy. The time for rhetoric has passed. The time for decisive action is now.

By George Mgbeleke
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is deeply disturbed by what increasingly appears to be the politically tainted arrest and continued detention of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
From every objective standpoint, the circumstances surrounding this case raise profound cons Enforctitutional, legal and political questions that Nigerians cannot afford to ignore.
The dispute over Chief Nnaji’s academic records is already before a competent court of law. He had approached the Federal High Court seeking an order compelling the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release his academic transcript. Once a matter is before the court, every law enforcement agency ought to exercise restraint and allow the judicial process to run its course instead of creating the impression that guilt has already been predetermined.
It is therefore difficult to separate the timing of the ICPC’s actions from the unfolding political realignments in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Chief Uche Nnaji was one of the founding pillars of the APC in Enugu State before political developments effectively pushed him out of the party. Having now aligned with the opposition, his rising political profile has inevitably placed him among those expected to shape the contest for the Enugu governorship. Against this backdrop, his arrest and continued detention naturally invite public scrutiny and legitimate questions about whether criminal law is being deployed as a tool in a political contest.
HURIWA is particularly concerned by allegations of political relationships involving key actors connected to the controversy surrounding the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. While these issues remain matters of public debate and have not been judicially determined, they reinforce the urgent need for complete transparency and scrupulous institutional neutrality.
The ICPC must understand that justice is not only about acting lawfully; it must also be seen to be free from political influence.
Equally troubling is the growing public perception that the ICPC is increasingly being deployed against prominent opposition figures at both the federal and state levels. Whether that perception is accurate or not, the Commission owes Nigerians a duty to demonstrate, through its actions, that it is guided solely by evidence, due process and the Constitution rather than partisan considerations.
It is impossible to ignore the obvious public questions being asked. Why was the Commission not similarly activated whenever politically exposed persons within the ruling establishment faced allegations requiring legal scrutiny? Why has the Commission suddenly become extraordinarily proactive in matters involving politicians who have either left the ruling party or are perceived as political threats? These are legitimate questions in a constitutional democracy and deserve credible answers rather than silence.
An anti-corruption agency derives its legitimacy from public confidence. Once citizens begin to perceive selective prosecution or political bias, the credibility painstakingly built over the years is severely diminished.
HURIWA therefore demands the immediate release of Chief Uche Nnaji from ICPC custody pending the determination of the issues already before the courts. The Commission should refrain from any action capable of creating the impression that it is being used to influence the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
We also call on the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations and the international democratic community to closely monitor this matter in order to ensure that the rule of law is not sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
The ICPC was established to fight corruption without fear or favour—not to become an instrument for settling political scores or intimidating perceived opponents of those in power. It must jealously guard its institutional independence and avoid actions capable of undermining public trust.
HURIWA hereby gives the ICPC until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow to release Chief Uche Nnaji or provide a clear legal justification for his continued detention that is demonstrably unrelated to partisan political considerations. Failure to do so will only deepen public suspicion that the Commission is permitting itself to be drawn into Nigeria’s increasingly heated pre-2027 political contest.