HURIWA slams FG, IGP, army chief for reportedly turning Abuja into ‘war zone’ over pro-Kanu protest

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has come down heavily on the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chief of Army Staff, over what it described as a shameful and dictatorial clampdown on peaceful Nigerians who gathered in Abuja to demand justice and the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

The association, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, claimed that the show of force witnessed in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday was proof that the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu is descending deeper into militarized tyranny, where peaceful dissent is treated as treason and citizens are ruled through fear instead of justice.

HURIWA said it was both “laughable and tragic” that an entire capital city could be locked down simply because a handful of young Nigerians said they would march peacefully to ask for justice. “Why is the government this afraid of its own people?” the group asked. “What is it hiding? Only leaders with unclean consciences fear the sight of citizens expressing themselves. Only dictators, tyrants, and looters of public funds are terrified of seeing hungry, frustrated Nigerians pour into the streets to speak truth to power.”

The rights group described as “insanity in uniform” the deployment of hundreds of soldiers, armored vehicles, and police patrol teams across major routes in Abuja, turning what should have been a peaceful civic action into a tense military siege. It said the reckless action of the security agencies crippled economic and commercial activities across the city; banks were shut, filling stations stopped dispensing fuel, commuters were stranded, and private businesses lost billions of naira in a single day.

HURIWA blamed the chaos on the paranoid conduct of the Police and the Army, accusing both institutions of creating unnecessary panic and tension. “The protesters were not armed, not even with a stone,” it said. “Yet live ammunition and tear gas were fired at harmless citizens. The government must explain why such unconstitutional brutality was unleashed on people whose only ‘crime’ was demanding justice.”

The Association also faulted the security advisory issued by the United States Embassy warning its citizens to stay away from the protest venues, describing it as “a foreign conspiracy against Nigeria’s democracy.” It questioned why a sovereign government would allow itself to be guided by what it called “a baseless, imported panic message” to justify domestic repression. “Did Nigerians invite Americans to the protest? Did they plan to storm the US Embassy? That advisory was totally irrelevant, yet the government used it as an excuse to flood Abuja with troops. It smacks of complicity,” HURIWA declared.

The group warned that the government’s growing intolerance for peaceful protests is a dangerous provocation that could one day spiral out of control. “If you keep pushing citizens to the wall, they will fight back,” HURIWA cautioned. “No government can suppress the people forever. Hunger and injustice will always find a voice. Nigeria is not a military barracks; it is a democracy; at least, it is supposed to be.”

It accused the Tinubu administration of ruling with fear and intimidation, saying the clampdown exposed an embarrassing level of insecurity within government circles. “Even if protesters marched toward Aso Rock, they could never breach its walls. That place is impenetrable and heavily guarded. So, what exactly is the government afraid of? The truth?” HURIWA asked.

The group demanded that the Federal Government immediately halt the use of soldiers for crowd control, release all arrested protesters without delay, and pay compensation to business owners whose operations were crippled by the security lockdown. It also urged the National Human Rights Commission and international human rights bodies to launch independent probes into the violent disruption of the protest.

HURIWA further warned that Nigeria’s democracy is being choked by a leadership that mistakes citizens’ cries for justice as threats to its survival. “This is not the democracy Nigerians fought for,” the statement said. “When a government uses live bullets on its own people for daring to ask questions, it has lost moral legitimacy. Those who are clean do not fear accountability. It is those with blood and corruption on their hands who tremble at the voice of the people.”

The Association reiterated that peaceful protest is a constitutional right, not a privilege. It said the continued militarization of civic spaces will only deepen public resentment and erode trust in government institutions. “No government that silences its people can ever claim to be democratic,” HURIWA said.

“Nigeria’s rulers must stop this war on citizens and start governing with conscience,” it added.