The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Strategy and Information, Bayo Onanuga, as a loose historical canon who speaks out of “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 turns into a tyrant who is opposed to criticism and critical thinking.

The human rights group also hit out at Onanuga, accusing him of grossly misrepresenting a cover story in one of last week’s editions of The Guardian, in which the paper categorically reported that massive hunger, poverty, deprivation and the cost-of-living crisis s -combined to cause some Nigerians to make the usual call for military intervention.

Bayo Onanuga’s misinterpretation of that cover story is said to show that he hardly reflects philosophically before releasing his statements to the press.

The human rights group condemned what it called a deliberate misrepresentation of a cover story that narrates the existential experiences of people in Nigeria and in no way supports calls by a few for military intervention.

HURIWA also asked if Onanuga was unaware that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was quoted as telling youths who called for protests to end bad governance in August that he, the Senate President, would be in his mansion eating while watching the protesters. television.

The group said Onanuga “justifies the clear disobedience of the valid orders of the courts on Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

He said: “the presidential spokesman has missed the point by giving support to the fugitive ex-governor to continue defying the law even when the immunity of the Kogi state governor does not cover the government houses through which the governors and the president, vice president or deputy governors live for to become safe havens for persons sought by law enforcement authorities such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or courts of competent jurisdiction contained in section 6 of the 1999 Constitution.”

It said that “the police or the military cannot be stopped from arresting wanted persons even if they are hiding under the AGBADA (native clothes) of the governor or president, provided that the police or military agents who arrest the wanted person shall simply remove the wanted person from 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 Bayo Onanuga is making Nigerians and the listening world believe or believe that Nigeria is a dungeon where outcasts or wanted persons can. they are hiding in the houses of the governors or the president and would not be arrested because the constitutional provision of immunity from prosecution in section 308 which covers only the governors, deputy governors, president and vice president but does not cover their households to become the refuge of the accused persons. or persons wanted by law enforcement.”

As DAILY POST reported earlier, Onanuga said security agencies failed to arrest Bello because of the “complicated” nature of the case.

Recall that in April 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared that Bello, who served as Kogi governor from May 2015 to May 2023, was wanted for alleged financial crimes amounting to N80.2 billion.

DAILY POST also reported various attempts by the EFCC to arrest the former governor but his successor, Usman Ododo, had come to his rescue, taking him to his lodge.

The matter was in court but the former governor did not appear before the trial judge despite many adjournments.

HURIWA disagreed with Onanuga on Bello’s refusal to surrender to the EFCC, criticizing his position on the grounds that immunity from prosecution does not cover the homes of those enjoying immunity.

“This explanation by Onanuga is false, laughable and wrong,” HURIWA said.

“The immunity from prosecution under the Nigerian constitution has not turned government houses into havens for suspects and accused who cannot be arrested by the security forces.”