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The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly faulted recent calls by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, demanding the removal of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing the actions as politically motivated, misplaced and diversionary.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the rights group dismissed threats of nationwide protests by NANS over its demand for Matawalle’s sack, characterising the move as reckless, unserious and completely detached from the core mandate of a student body.

HURIWA accused the student association of abandoning its responsibility to Nigerian students and acting instead as political errand runners while the education sector continues to suffer deepening neglect.

HURIWA admonished the leadership of NANS to return its focus to classrooms and lecture halls and confront the real challenges facing students across the country, including poor funding of education, decaying infrastructure, incessant industrial actions and the alarming decline in academic standards.

The association warned that Nigerian universities are increasingly being reduced to glorified primary schools due to chronic underfunding and institutional neglect.

According to HURIWA, it is not the responsibility of NANS to issue ultimatums to the President or campaign for the sack of ministers, but to defend the future of Nigerian students whose prospects are being undermined by inadequate budgeting for education, overcrowded classrooms, poorly equipped laboratories and demoralised lecturers. The group stressed that these pressing issues should form the basis of any legitimate protest by a student body.

The association further noted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has persistently raised concerns about the collapse of academic standards and inadequate funding, insisting that these are the areas where NANS should deploy its influence and energy. It maintained that protests should be channelled towards demanding better learning environments, improved welfare for students and lecturers, and genuine reforms in the education sector.

HURIWA cautioned NANS against grandstanding and playing to the gallery of politicians, urging the student body to work constructively with lecturers, engage policymakers responsibly and fight for a system that guarantees quality education and a secure future for Nigerian students. It described threats of protest over the fate of a minister as irresponsible and completely misplaced.

On the criticisms from Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, HURIWA described his interventions as overtly political and driven by partisan considerations rather than genuine concern for national security. The association pointed out that Zamfara State remains a theatre of intense political rivalry between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, stressing that Shinkafi’s comments must be viewed within that context.

HURIWA noted that Shinkafi, now aligned with the PDP in Zamfara State after previously belonging to APGA, is widely perceived as operating in the political interest of the incumbent state administration. According to the group, his repeated attacks on Matawalle are linked to apprehension within rival political camps that the former Zamfara governor and current minister could emerge as a strong contender on the APC platform in the 2027 gubernatorial election.

The association warned Nigerians to listen to such interventions with discernment, describing them as politically coloured attacks rooted in Zamfara’s fierce power contest. It cautioned against the politicisation of security matters, noting that reckless accusations and public grandstanding could undermine national stability.

HURIWA urged all actors to allow due process, evidence-based assessments and established institutional mechanisms to address security challenges, rather than converting them into tools for political warfare. The group reaffirmed that criticism of public officials must be anchored on facts, national interest and respect for democratic institutions, not partisan fear or opportunism.

The association called on Nigerians to remain vigilant against attempts to manipulate public opinion through politically driven narratives, insisting that both student bodies and political actors must act responsibly in the interest of national unity, stability and democratic governance.

The statement was signed by Comrade Emmanuel Onwuniko, National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), and dated December 16, 2025.

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