Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on strategy and information, Bayo Onanuga, as a historical loose Canon who speaks from ‘both sides of his mouth.’
HURIWA claimed that Onanuga was notorious for always speaking without introspection, which according to the group, makes him the least qualified person to speak for a Nigerian president.
The group said it believes Onanuga can only speak for Tinubu if the President is turning himself into a tyrant who is averse to criticism and critical thinking.
The rights group further carpeted Onanuga, accusing him of gross misinterpretation of a cover story of one of the editions of The Guardian last week in which the newspaper categorically reported that massive hunger, poverty, deprivation, and costs of living crisis have combined to drive some Nigerians into making the usual call for military intervention.
It said the misinterpretation given to that cover story by Bayo Onanuga shows that he hardly reflects philosophically before issuing his media statements.
The rights group condemned what it called a deliberate mischief of misinterpretation of a cover story that narrates the existential experiences of the people of Nigeria and does not in any way endorse the calls by some few persons for military intervention.
HURIWA also asked if Onanuga is not aware that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio was quoted as telling youths who called for protests to end bad governance in August that he, the Senate President, would be inside his mansion eating whilst watching the protesters on television.
The group said Onanuga is “justifying the clear disobedience of valid orders of the courts on the immediate past Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello.
He said, “the presidential spokesman missed the point by providing the support for the fugitive erstwhile governor to continue to defy the law even when the immunity of the governor of Kogi state did not cover the government houses whereby governors and president’s, vice president or deputy governors live to become safe havens for persons wanted by law enforcement authorities such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the courts of competent jurisdiction captured under Section 6nof the 1999 constitution.”
It said “the police or military can’t be stopped from arresting wanted persons even if they hide under the AGBADA (native clothes) of the governor or president provided the police or military operatives arresting the wanted person will simply bring the wanted person out of the Agbada (native clothes) of either the governor or even the president of Nigeria.
“We urge president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint a qualified, more sober, reflective and professional media spokesman to stop the loose Canon which Bayo Onanuga is from making Nigerians and the listening World think or believe that Nigeria is a dungeon whereby outlaws or wanted persons can hide inside the houses of governors or president and wouldn’t be arrested because the constitutional provision of immunity from prosecution in section 308 which covers only governors, deputy governors, president and the vice president but does not cover their households to become Refuge of accused persons or persons wanted by law enforcement agencies.”
As the newmen reported, Onanuga said security agencies have not been able to arrest embattled Bello because of the “complicated” nature of the case.
Recall that in April 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC) declared Bello, who was Kogi governor from May 2015 to May 2023, wanted for alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion.
The Newsmen also reported various attempts by the EFCC to arrest the former governor but his successor, Usman Ododo, had come to his rescue, whisking him away to his lodge.
The matter has been in court but the former governor has not appeared before the trial judge despite many adjournments.
HURIWA disagreed with Onanuga over the refusal of Bello to surrender himself to the EFCC, faulting his position on the ground that the immunity from prosecution does not cover the houses of those who enjoy immunity.
“This explanation by Onanuga is spurious, laughable and fallacious,” HURIWA said.
“The immunity from prosecution as provided for by the Nigerian constitution did not turn government houses into refuge of suspects and accused persons who can’t be arrested by security forces”.