European countries got a request from the Federal Government yesterday – they should stop harbouring members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB).
During his engagements with some international media organisations on Nigeria’s just-concluded elections, Information, Culture, and Tourism Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed alleged that members of the group use funds raised in Western countries to “destabilise” Nigeria.
IPoB has been proscibed in Nigeria.
The polls were held on 25th February (Presidential/National Assembly) and 18th March (Governorship/State Assembly).
The minister noted that IPoB remains a terrorist group as declared by the Nigerian government and should be treated as such by Western countries.
He said: “IPoB is a terrorist organisation so declared by the Nigerian government, yet some Western countries harbour them and have been dealing with the illegal body.
“They allow them to raise funds, some allow them to lobby their congressmen and lawmakers, and whatever fund they realize they use it to destabilize the country”.
In 2017, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declared IPOB a terrorist organisation after the army and Southeast governors proscribed the group and its activities.
Although the United Kingdom government had recognised the proscription of the group, several other Western countries are yet to follow suit.
According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index, IPoB ranked as the 10th deadliest terror group in the world.
The report claimed that the group was responsible for 40 attacks and 57 deaths in 2022.
