Odita Sunday 
HURIWA Raises Alarm Over ‘Police State’, Demands Release of Detained Activists
By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Wednesday accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of steering Nigeria towards authoritarianism, alleging an intensified crackdown on activists, critics and dissenting voices through the use of security agencies.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group condemned what it described as the “weaponisation of state power” by the Department of State Services, the Police and the military to suppress freedom of expression and civic engagement.
HURIWA specifically cited the arrest and prosecution of activist Omoyele Sowore and Mark Chidiebere, describing their detention as an assault on constitutional democracy and civil liberties.
According to the group, the reported arrest of Chidiebere over comments concerning the feeding and welfare conditions of troops fighting insurgency exposes the government’s alleged intolerance for criticism instead of addressing the plight of soldiers on the frontlines.
“Mark Chidiebere is a prisoner of conscience,” the statement read, adding that concerns over the welfare of military personnel had previously been raised by serving and retired officers.
The rights group further criticised what it called the disparity between the living conditions of political office holders and troops battling insecurity across the country, urging the Federal Government to cut by 50 per cent the feeding and welfare budgets of the Presidency, Vice President’s office and top government officials.
HURIWA said the savings should be redirected towards improving the feeding, medical care, welfare and operational support of security personnel combating terrorism and banditry, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
The organisation also expressed concern over what it described as increasing executive influence on public institutions, including the judiciary, warning that politically motivated prosecutions and suppression of dissent were becoming reminiscent of Nigeria’s military era.
It called on the international community, including the United Nations, African Union and European Union, to place Nigeria under close democratic and human rights observation.
Among its demands, HURIWA called for the immediate and unconditional release of detained activists, an end to harassment of dissenting voices, respect for constitutional freedoms, and an independent investigation into alleged abuses by security agencies.
“Democracy dies when citizens become afraid to speak,” the group stated.
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