By Nkechi Eze
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticised the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, over their calls for the removal of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing the campaign as politically motivated, misplaced and a dangerous distraction from pressing national concerns.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA dismissed the threats of nationwide protests by NANS as reckless and unserious, insisting that such actions fall far outside the legitimate mandate of a student body. According to the rights group, NANS has abandoned its core responsibility of defending students’ welfare and has instead chosen to act as political errand runners.
HURIWA urged the leadership of NANS to “return to classrooms and lecture halls” and refocus on the real challenges confronting Nigerian students, including chronic underfunding of education, decaying infrastructure in tertiary institutions, incessant strikes and the steady erosion of academic standards. The association warned that Nigerian universities are fast deteriorating into what it described as “glorified primary schools” due to years of neglect and inadequate investment.
“The duty of NANS is not to issue ultimatums to the President or to campaign for the sack of ministers,” HURIWA said. “Their responsibility is to defend the interests of Nigerian students whose future is being mortgaged by poor budgeting for education, overcrowded classrooms, ill-equipped laboratories and demoralised lecturers.”
The group noted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has repeatedly raised alarm over the collapse of academic standards and insufficient funding of public universities, stressing that these are the issues that should command the attention, energy and activism of NANS. It argued that protests, if genuinely intended to serve students, should be directed at demanding improved learning environments, better welfare for students and lecturers, and comprehensive reforms of the education sector.
“NANS should stop grandstanding and playing to the gallery of politicians,” HURIWA stated. “They should work with lecturers, engage policymakers constructively and fight for a system that guarantees quality education and a secure future for Nigerian students. Threatening protests over the fate of a minister is not only misplaced, it is irresponsible.”
On the criticism directed at Matawalle by Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, HURIWA described his interventions as overtly political and driven by partisan calculations rather than any genuine concern for national security. The association pointed out that Zamfara State remains deeply polarised along party lines, with intense rivalry between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a context it said cannot be divorced from Shinkafi’s comments.
According to HURIWA, Shinkafi, who is now aligned with the PDP after previously belonging to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is widely perceived as advancing the political interests of the current administration in Zamfara State. The group argued that his persistent attacks on Matawalle are linked to apprehension within rival political camps over the possibility of the former governor emerging as a strong APC contender in the 2027 governorship election.
“When Shinkafi speaks on Matawalle, Nigerians must listen with discernment,” HURIWA said. “This is not a neutral intervention. It is a politically coloured attack rooted in Zamfara’s fierce power contest. Shinkafi’s political journey, from APGA to his current alignment, shows clearly where his interests lie.”
The rights organisation cautioned against the politicisation of security matters, warning that reckless accusations and public grandstanding could undermine national stability. It stressed that security challenges should be addressed through due process, evidence-based assessments and established institutional mechanisms, not exploited as tools for political warfare.
HURIWA reaffirmed that criticism of public officials must be anchored on facts, national interest and respect for democratic institutions, rather than fear, opportunism or partisan agendas. It called on Nigerians to remain vigilant against attempts to manipulate public opinion through politically driven narratives, insisting that both student bodies and political actors have a duty to act responsibly in the overall interest of the nation.
