The Indigenous People of Biafra has rejected the offer of asylum for its members by the United Kingdom.
The position of the separatist movement came amid a brewing row between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the British Government over the offer of asylum for members of the IPOB and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra.
While the Federal Government of Nigeria through its Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the gesture as disrespectful and a move against the government’s terrorism fight, the United Kingdom said it properly considers its initiatives.
But reacting the the development, IPOB, through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, said asylum was not what the body’s struggle was all about.
Rather, IPOB said what it wanted for freedom for its people.
It said: “We, the global family of IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, have noted with satisfaction the news that the United Kingdom has agreed to grant asylum to persecuted Biafra agitators resident in the UK. While we commend them for this bold initiative, we wish to most graciously remind them that what we, Biafrans need and cherish the most is referendum and not asylum in the UK.
“We are tired of living in bondage in the devilish contraption called Nigeria they single-handedly created. We would not wish our children, now and generations unborn to share the same geo-political space with those that reward terrorists and criminalise law abiding citizens. We particularly thank the UK government for confirming what the rest of the civilised world already know that the IPOB members are not terrorists but peaceful agitators and freedom fighters”.
