By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Federal Government to ban ethnic militias and unregulated private security formations ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that their emergence could fuel political intimidation and electoral violence.
The pro-democracy and civil rights group also demanded equal application of the law in dealing with ethnic security outfits across the country, saying no group should be allowed to operate a parallel security structure outside constitutional and statutory controls.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Monday, HURIWA condemned the reported declaration by the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, that presidential candidates other than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not campaign in Osun State.
The organisation described the position as “constitutionally untenable” and a dangerous precedent capable of restricting voters’ access to alternative political messages.
HURIWA urged the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make clear that all presidential candidates recognised under Nigerian law have the right to campaign freely in Osun State and other parts of the country.
The group argued that traditional rulers, political office holders and private individuals have no constitutional authority to determine which presidential candidates Nigerians can listen to, receive or vote for.
“Nigeria cannot operate a democracy of selective political access,” HURIWA said, warning that political endorsements by traditional institutions must not translate into restrictions on opposition campaigns.
The group further raised concerns over the reported donation of N100 million and a new Hilux vehicle by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to the Iru Ekun Security Network, a community security initiative established by Yoruba Nation advocate, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
While stressing that it was not opposed to legitimate community-based security initiatives, HURIWA demanded transparency over the legal status, command structure, operational mandate and accountability mechanisms of such formations.
It warned that Nigeria could not afford a situation where ethnic groups establish, finance or operate parallel security structures outside the control of constitutional security agencies.
HURIWA also questioned what it described as an apparent double standard in the treatment of ethnic security formations, recalling the Federal Government’s previous security actions against structures associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The organisation asked why an ethnic-affiliated security structure should be tolerated or materially supported while another ethnic security formation faces severe security operations.
It maintained that political loyalty or electoral usefulness should not determine the application of national security laws.
“A private army is a private army, irrespective of who establishes it, who finances it or which political interest it serves,” the group said.
HURIWA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a comprehensive review of ethnic-based security outfits operating across the country and establish clear rules for community security initiatives.
It also called on security agencies to investigate allegations of illegal possession, movement or deployment of arms by private or ethnic security formations before the 2027 election season intensifies.
According to the group, allowing such structures to grow unchecked could create instruments for voter intimidation, suppression of opposition campaigns and interference with polling activities.
The rights group also called for investigations into allegations by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) and the Ekwenche Research Institute that about 6,000 families in the South-East are allegedly searching for relatives who reportedly disappeared in the custody of security agencies since 2021.
HURIWA described the allegation as grave, saying it should not be dismissed without investigation.
It called on the National Assembly and the Houses of Assembly in the South-East to investigate the claims and establish the whereabouts of persons reportedly missing.
The organisation also urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the allegations within its statutory mandate and publish its findings.
It further called on Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Council to independently examine the allegations where credible evidence exists.
HURIWA stressed that allegations of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention or unlawful killings must be investigated regardless of the ethnic identity or region of the alleged victims.
The organisation said Nigeria’s insecurity could not be resolved through the creation of competing ethnic armies.
It called for a unified constitutional security architecture governed by law, professional command structures, democratic oversight and accountability.
HURIWA urged President Tinubu to assure Nigerians that no ethnic militia would be allowed to operate as a parallel army, while all presidential candidates would enjoy equal protection during the 2027 elections.
The group also demanded political neutrality by security agencies and investigations into allegations of enforced disappearances and unlawful detention.
HURIWA warned that the erosion of democratic freedoms does not necessarily begin with the suspension of elections, but can start when citizens gradually lose the right to organise, campaign, speak and choose freely.
It urged Nigerians to reject political intimidation, ethnic militias and private armies, insisting that every citizen must enjoy equal protection under the law irrespective of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
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